Staff changes at Red Room Poetry

Red Room Poetry has announced several staff changes, including appointments of joint artistic directors, a new CEO, and two new managers, as part of the organisation’s ‘restructured director and management teams’.

Jonty Claypole has been appointed CEO. Claypole is a writer, documentary producer and arts administrator living and working on Gadigal land, who ‘worked for twenty years in media and the arts in the UK’.

David Stavanger and Nicole Smede have been appointed joint artistic directors. Both Stavanger and Smede were formerly senior project managers at the organisation. Smede is a ‘multidisciplinary artist of Worimi and European descent working closely with Elders and community’. Stavanger is a ‘poet, performer, cultural producer, editor and former psychologist living on Dharawal land’.

These appointments follow news earlier this week that poet and current artistic director Tamryn Bennett is stepping aside to ‘embark on her parental leave journey and a new chapter of her life and career,’ after over 10 years with the organisation. Bennett will remain on the organisation’s board.

Also this month, Claire Albrecht commenced as operations manager and Rani Ghazzaoui commenced as marketing and communications manager at the organisation. Albrecht is a poet based on Wiradjuri Country, and is editor-in-chief of The Suburban Review and manager of Australian Literary Studies. Ghazzaoui is a writer, communicator, actor and poet based on Gadigal land, who also has a twenty-year background in communications.

Said Red Room Poetry: ‘These changes will enable us to deliver a program for 2024 that is as ambitious and exciting as ever, while protecting the integrity of Red Room as an organisation of poets, living and breathing the art-form we represent.’

Category: Local news