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Performing Arts industry young gun, Annette Madden, has been appointed the role of Company B’s Downstairs Theatre Director.

Taking over from Lyn Wallis who left in 2007, Annette comes with a wealth of industry experience, having worked both on stage and behind the scenes for a number of years and across a range of performing arts genres.

Annette has come most recently from a position with Theatre Kantanka where she was a Producer for the site-based, cross-cultural, physical theatre company. She recently worked with the Performance Space as an Auspiced Grants Manager and prior to that was an Artist Liaison for the 2007 Melbourne International Arts Festival and Project Manager for Stalker & Marrugeku.

Annette is also co-founder and producer of The Hub Project – a development initiative premiering new work in New York and Sydney. She has worked as an actor, both in Australia and New York, as a youth drama tutor, a freelance arts publicist and has produced independent films.

In the role Annette will be working along side independent theatre companies from all over Australia to deliver the acclaimed B Sharp season.

Of her new role, Annette says, “As B Sharp heads into its tenth year, I’m thrilled to be joining the Company B team, with the many incredible performance possibilities for the Downstairs Theatre that lie ahead. I’m very much looking forward to continuing the collaboration between B Sharp and the independent artistic community, as well as helping sustain Downstairs at Belvoir St Theatre as a place for dreaming, storytelling, research and development.”

Company B’s General Manager, Brenna Hobson, says, “We’re very excited to have Annette on board in 2008 – she brings not only a raft of industry experience but, as an independent theatre actor and producer, Annette deeply understands the ins and outs of getting an independent theatre production up and running.

“2007 was a great year for B Sharp – with productions like The Seed, which took out the Best Independent Production in the 2007 Sydney Theatre Awards, Anna in the Tropics and Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train. Annette and the B Sharp team have programmed a bumper Season in 2008 and we look forward to getting back on the Downstairs stage in April,” she said.

The B Sharp season is being launched at Belvoir St Theatre on Monday 31st March. The 2008 Season kicks off on April 18th with Brendan Cowell’s Philip Parsons Young Playwright’s Award commission, Ruben Guthrie.