Norbury takes on interim role of establishment director for Creative England
An Establishment Board for Creative England has been appointed, made up of existing regional Screen agency chairs, with chief executive of South Screen West, Caroline Norbury taking the interim role of establishment director.
The board will oversee the work of the establishment director for the new creative development body for England, a role that Norbury takes up with immediate effect for the next six months with the task of ensuring that the organisation is ‘functional’ and ready to replace the existing Regional Screen agencies from the beginning of October.
Mehjabeen Price, director of finance and operations for South West Scree, will become acting chief executive officer whilst Norbury is seconded to Creative England.
John Newbigin chairman of Creative England commented: “Creative England is a new organisation with an imaginative new remit set out by the government. But our first responsibility is to ensure that we have the people and resources to replace the Regional Screen Agencies in supporting film-making and film culture across England. Until now we have relied on the goodwill and voluntary hard work of the existing Screen Agency CEOs and their staffs in setting up Creative England but we now need a full-time, fully committed executive if we are to get to the starting line by the agreed date of 1 October.”
Newbigin continued: “Caroline has played a central role in Creative England’s development to date and her Board have generously agreed to her secondment so that she can focus on that role temporarily.* She will be tasked with setting up the overall business plan and staffing structure of Creative England’s film-related activity, whilst beginning to build capacity for the broader Creative England vision and securing funds for wider creative industries activity. She will be supported in this role by the CEOs and staffs of the existing Regional Screen Agencies and will report to the Creative England Establishment Board.
“We are absolutely committed to creating an organisation that reflects local and regional needs and strengths, building on the work of the Regional Screen Agencies over the last ten years, but launching the new organisation as a single entity in the first instance allows us to reduce cost and time pressures while ensuring a continuity of support for film activity across the English regions. This process, and Caroline’s appointment, enjoys the support of our national partner organisation, the BFI," he concluded.