Dance City boss leaves her role; 'Personal reasons' lead to departure of Penny Rae.

Byline: David Whetstone 

ANEW boss is being sought for Dance City following the resignation of Penny Rae after less than two years in the job. Finance manager Ian McKeown, who has taken on the role of acting chief executive, cited "personal reasons" for her departure.

In a letter posted on the Dance City website, he said she would be "transitioning through September 25" - but yesterday Ms Rae could not be contacted.

Mr McKeown was meeting staff at Arts Council England, North East yesterday as Dance City underwent its annual review.

An Arts Council spokeswoman said the review was a routine one and common to all its regularly funded organisations.

"It covers organisational and governance issues and looks at the targets they have set and whether they are meeting them," she said.

But Ms Rae's departure, which surprised many in the arts world, will also have been discussed.

In his letter, Mr McKeown announced "with regret" Penny Rae's resignation as chief executive and artistic director.

He added: "In her 21-month tenure, Penny has steered the organisation through a realignment of its artistic vision and unprecedented growth.

"She has been visionary in the inclusion of social transformation through movement into Dance City's ethos.

"She has also been radical in her approach to diversifying the funding of the organisation to weather the financial downturn and has been instrumental in building new partnerships between Dance City and other public and private organisations."

It was in September 2007 that Penny Rae was announced as the successor to Janet Archer who, during her 15 years in charge of Dance City, took the organisation into a new building which opened beside Newcastle's St James' Boulevard in January 2006.

She began her dance career in the North East but had since worked extensively in the arts in Britain and overseas, notably with the young and disadvantaged.

On her appointment, Dance City chairman Lionel Joyce, who could not be contacted yesterday, said she was the ideal person to build on recent successes and begin a new chapter in the organisation's history. In her last interview with The Journal, during the summer, Ms Rae spoke of the relationships she had built up with organisations such as Creative Partnerships, Northumbria and Teesside universities and Gateshead College with a view to lessening Dance City's dependence on public subsidy.

She also spoke of her determination to get more dance out of the new building and into North East communities.

But some of her decisions relating to staff reorganisation, such as the early axing of the marketing department, were not universally popular. Another possible source of discussion yesterday was a letter from some North East dance professionals - sent to Dance City and the Arts Council earlier in the year - apparently asking for clarification about the direction and priorities of the organisation.

Despite Ms Rae's departure, Mr McKeown said he and his team were excited to deliver a full programme of dance during the autumn and to continue to support dance throughout the region.

He said an international search would begin for a replacement for Penny Rae with a view to making an appointment early next year.

CAPTION(S):

VISIONARY Dance City's Penny Rae has been praised by finance manager Ian McKeown.