London's The Royal Court Theatre has announced that Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone will step down from the role later this year. The search for a new artistic director will soon be underway.
In Featherstone's statement about her departure, she said, "Although I am usually the last one to leave the party, it’s time for me to hand over the guardianship of this extraordinary, enduring mission to someone else. When I started this job in 2013 I set myself a time limit of 10 years, and I am holding myself to that. There are no words for how life-changing, challenging, invigorating and complex this job is, and like everyone who has ever done this role here, it is forever part of my DNA." Featherstone also shared that she currently has no concrete plans for what's next.
The search for the next artistic director will begin in late February, and Featherstone will depart the role once her successor has been found and has taken on the role.
Featherstone kicked off her tenure in the summer of 2013 with the 6-week Open Court festival, which featured 133 performances and over 40 new plays. Under her leadership, the theatre has supported over 600 writers through writer development programs.
The writers include: Abhishek Majumdar, Adam Brace, Aleshea Harris, Anchuli Felicia King, Anna Deavere Smith, Clint Dyer, Enda Walsh, Jack Thorne, Jez Butterworth, Jim Cartwright, Lucas Hnath, Martin Crimp, Martin McDonagh, Mia Chung, Moira Buffini, Nina Segal, Rachel Chavkin, Sanaz Toossi, and Suzan Lori Parks, among others.
The next season of work at the Royal Court, including Vicky’s final production, will be announced in March.
