New appointments bring experience with ATG Entertainment and Cameron Mackintosh to Watermill board
THE Watermill has announced two new appointments to its board of trustees.
Michael Lynas, chief content and creative officer of ATG Entertainment, will become chairman of the board, while Caroline Barber, most recently general counsel for The Old Vic, joins as a trustee.
In addition, Katie Breathwick, a TV and radio journalist who has been a presenter on Classic FM for nearly a decade, continues as a trustee and has recently been appointed vice chair.
Michael Lynas leads an international team responsible for securing and delivering shows to the company’s 64 theatres in the UK, US and Europe. He has worked in the theatre industry for more than 40 years. Before joining ATG, he worked as a producer and executive director at Richmond Theatre, at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End.
Michael said: “I’ve been visiting The Watermill for nearly 40 years and have enjoyed countless adventurous and inspiring productions, as well as the unique atmosphere of the theatre and its surroundings. I am delighted to be joining the board at this exciting time in its history when the theatre has been named Theatre of the Year and has just announced plans for the wonderful Lord of the Rings to go to Chicago.”
Caroline Barber joined Cameron Mackintosh Limited (CML) as a theatre administrator after graduating. Here she developed a taste for the various legal aspects surrounding theatre production. She subsequently qualified as an intellectual property solicitor with specialist law firm Theodore Goddard. After a break to raise her children, she returned to CML as sole in-house lawyer and then moved on to The Old Vic where she was privileged to witness first-hand the transforming effect that theatre – and its people – can have on communities, improving both life opportunities and connections.
The Watermill’s joint CEOs Claire Murray and Paul Hart said: “We are delighted to welcome Caroline as a trustee and Michael as chair of the board, both of whom bring extensive experience of the sector and local connections that will be invaluable to The Watermill. Our trustees have been a huge source of advice and support over the last 12 months, helping us to develop our business model, ensure the preservation of our unique site and continue to pursue an ambitious programme of work on and off-stage.”
They also thanked Andrew McKenzie who as chairman helped steer the theatre through the challenges of the pandemic and 100 per cent cut to its funding by Arts Council England.
