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Black Swan State Theatre Company is pleased to announce the appointment of experienced arts manager Shane Colquhoun as its new General Manger. Shane will take up his new position on 3 March 2009.
 
Shane Colquhoun was a professional dancer for 12 years in the UK, Germany and Australia, having completed his training at The Royal Ballet School, London.  Following his retirement from full-time dance in 1984, he studied Arts Management at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.  Over the last 20 years, his arts management career has included positions within government and in the arts sector including General Manager positions with Western Australia’s Deckchair Theatre (1987-89) and West Australian Ballet (1992-96).
 
Shane established himself as a freelance arts manager in 1996.  He consulted and worked with a range of Western Australian arts organisations and special project groups including Buzz Dance Theatre, West Australian Ballet, Country Arts WA, Perth Theatre Company, PICA and the City of Perth.  He was also a part-time lecturer in arts management at the WA Academy of Performing Arts.
 
Since 2000, Shane has been with the WA Department of Culture and the Arts in a range of senior roles, currently as the Director Arts Funding and Development.  For 16 months in the lead up to the 2005 State General Election, Shane was seconded to the Minister for Culture and the Arts as Policy Advisor.
 
Shane was the National President of the Australian Dance Council – Ausdance until 2006, a Board Member of Country Arts WA and until the end of 1997 was inaugural Chairperson of the Australia Council for the Arts’ Dance Board, a position he held for three and a half years.
 
Shane joins Black Swan at a critical and exciting time for the Company, as Black Swan continues to develop its role as Western Australia’s State Flagship Theatre Company amidst challenging economic conditions and prepares for its move into the new State Theatre Centre of Western Australia in 2010.
 
Board Chair Richard Duldig commented, “Shane’s appointment will bring new strategic thinking and managerial excellence to Black Swan and will help to ensure that Black Swan reaches its full potential as the State Flagship Theatre Company.  We believe that Shane will complement Artistic Director Kate Cherry’s clear artistic vision with his own corporate vision for Black Swan.”