Silo Theatre Welcomes Top New Executive Talent

Leading New Zealand theatre producer Silo Theatre is to welcome a new executive director, Chloe Weavers.

Weavers, a highly experienced producer and arts leader across the Asia Pacific, takes over the role from Jessica Smith at the end of October, who has decided to pursue new opportunities after more than 11-years providing executive leadership to one of the country's most cutting-edge theatre producers.

Silo Chair Rick Carlyon thanked Smith for her outstanding leadership and service to the performing arts community in Aotearoa and Tāmaki Makaurau, and welcomed Weavers, who brings strong governance and leadership skills, as well as having led and produced theatre, festivals, arts and community events across Australasia.

“Chloe is set to extend Jess’s foundation by bringing a strong te ao Māori focus to our work here at Silo and her experience demonstrates she can work across many cultures, including Moana Oceania and migrant communities,” Carlyon says. “We are incredibly sad to lose Jess, whose outstanding work with our artistic director Sophie Roberts has seen Silo Theatre become a well-established leader and innovator in contemporary theatre.”

Weavers has spent the past 10 years working in Melbourne and among the arts organisations and events she has worked with are Te Pou Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, Abbotsford Convent, Next Wave, Midsumma, Patch Theatre, Performing Lines, Wurundjeri Council, Asia TOPA and Alter State.

Of Ngāpuhi descent, Weavers says she is excited to collaborate with the arts community of Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa: “I am really energised to carry on the mahi paved by Jess and I feel privileged to work with the incredible team at Silo and alongside Sophie as we deliver bold and ambitious projects that reach audiences across the motu in new and unexpected ways.”

Both Weavers and Carlyon acknowledge the significant impact of the Covid pandemic, particularly on the performing arts community.

“A real strength of Chloe’s is her passion for the power of performing arts to facilitate connection and conversation between people and it is this quality that will drive Silo Theatre forward into a new phase of development in these uncertain and anxious times,” Carlyon says.

Says Weavers, “These challenges present an exciting opportunity to re-think, re-model and re-position how we work and why we do what we do and for whom.”

Outgoing Executive Director Jessica Smith says: "It's been a privilege to serve the mission of Silo Theatre and an extensive family of arts practitioners working across the full spectrum of theatre craft and production. So much of any achievement in my job has been realised with the support and hard work of many, many excellent people and supportive partners. At the end of the day, it is this essential collaboration that I love most about our live arts sector and the art of producing shows for audiences."

"Silo’s brand and work has always been most alive in its people and their stories - I couldn’t be more excited to be passing the baton to Chloe, who without a doubt represents the arrival of next generation leadership for the organisation."

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