We are thrilled to announce that Despina Tsatsas will be the Young Vic's new Executive Director in summer 2018. Despina is currently Executive Producer at Punchdrunk International and she will take over the role from interim Executive Director, Sarah Hall.
Young Vic Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah says: “We had some fantastic candidates apply for the position as Executive Director from all around the world, but the qualities that Despina demonstrated made her the perfect person for the job. Despina is everything I would want an Executive Director to be; imaginative, ambitious and a true team-player. We can’t wait for her to join the Young Vic family.”
Incoming Executive Director Despina Tsatsas says: “The Young Vic is driven by a mission to create world-class theatre for some of the most engaged and diverse audiences in the UK. Under the leadership of David Lan and Lucy Woollatt its institutional culture has also became synonymous with artistic integrity, meaningful political engagement and a generosity of spirit. These values – along with the-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to work with the hugely inspirational Kwame Kwei-Armah - made me jump at the chance to join the team.”
Despina is a theatre producer with experience across the subsidised and commercial sector. She was previously Executive Producer at UK’s Frantic Assembly working closely with Artistic Director Scott Graham, and has worked for organisations including Almeida theatre, and Ambassador Theatre Group. She was also Associate Producer for West End General Management company Mark Rubinstein Ltd where clients included National Theatre Productions (War Horse UK Tour, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time).
Whilst at Mark Rubinstein Ltd, Despina acted as Main House Producer at the Young Vic theatre between 2010 and 2012 producing works including Sweet Nothings, Vernon God Little, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Glass Menagerie, Hamlet, Government Inspector, I Am The Wind, The Beauty Queen of Leenane and Wild Swans, and working with directors including David Lan, Carrie Cracknell, Rufus Norris, Richard Jones, Joe Hill-Gibbins and Patrice Chereau.
Despina is a Clore Leadership Programme Fellow (2012/2013) and received a Stage One Apprenticeship early in her career. She is a Board Member of UK charity Clean Break – a women’s theatre company working with women offenders and those at risk of offending, as well as medical-educational charity The Laura Case Trust.
