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Dateline: 17th January, 2008
Hebden Says No to Staying at Derby Karen Hebden has declined an offer to return as chief executive of Derby Playhouse if the financially troubled theatre comes out of administration.
The theatre’s new trustees who are preparing a business plan to try to convince the administrators that the Playhouse has a viable future asked Ms Hebden to take up her former role again. But she has decided to become a freelance director.
She said, “I had a long, hard think about that and in the end it’s going to need somebody to sit down and cut through all the different conversations and all the rubbish that’s been out there and all the mud-slinging that’s gone on.
“I thought ‘can I sit in a room full of people who’ve thrown some of that mud and make peace?’ and I thought I’m not that person.
“I love the Playhouse. I wouldn’t be here working for nothing if I didn’t. So I have to look at what’s best for it and what’s best for me.
“It’s been very stressful, very tiring and a new energy needs to come in, someone who can build bridges and who can take the Playhouse forward.
“I do think it gives the Arts Council and lots of the groups who want to become stakeholders in the Playhouse a fresh face to negotiate with.”
The theatre has produced a business plan that does not include any funding from Derby City Council which refused to bring forward a grant payment to help ease the theatre’s cash-flow problems before it went into administration.
The Playhouse has also appealed against the Arts Council’s withholding its £700,000 grant. The appeal can be viewed in full at http://www.derbyplayhouse.co.uk/artscouncilappeal.html.
Arts Council East Midlands said, “There would need to be an extraordinary change to persuade us that the current organisation could take theatre forward in Derby.”
However, the Arts Council has ring-fenced the money which will go to a producing-theatre company in Derby. Steve Orme
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