Toby Chapman has been locked in to lead Penrith’s burgeoning arts scene, confirmed as the CEO and Artistic Director of Penrith Performing & Visual Arts (PP&VA).
The PPVA Board confirmed his appointment earlier today. He had been serving as interim CEO.
“I am deeply honoured to take on the role of CEO, with the addition of Artistic Director to the title,” Chapman said.
“It signals that our business decisions and our artistic programming are integral to one another, not separate.”
Chapman has been an integral member of PP&VA since 2020, most notably as Director of Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery, where mostly recently he led the team to great acclaim presenting landmark exhibitions including the ‘25th Biennale of Sydney: Rememory’, ‘The Pool Show’ and ‘Blak Douglas: The Halfway Line’.
The PP&VA oversees the Penrith Regional Gallery, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and the Q Theatre.
Chapman will now lead the programming and development of those venues as Penrith continues to find its feet in the arts world.
“Penrith and western Sydney are on the cusp of a major transformation, and I am committed to ensuring that arts and culture are central to it,” Chapman said.
“My time as Director of Lewers was defined by our team’s efforts to ensure that all visitors and communities felt welcome and engaged with the arts. It was vitally important to us that they could see themselves reflected in what they saw and participated in at the Gallery.
“This new role offers an opportunity to apply that same principle organisation-wide. To ensure that every time someone walks through our doors, they encounter something that is genuinely for them.”
While Penrith may be on the map as a result of sporting success over the years, it has a strong arts scene that has always played an integral role in the city.
PP&VA Chairperson Dale Maxwell-Smith said the appointment of Chapman would ensure that presence continues to grow.
“The Board is looking forward to working closely with Toby on this exciting new chapter for the organisation,” Maxwell-Smith said.
“We are focused on providing opportunities for high quality artistic engagement and participation that reflects the diversity of our community. We are thrilled to appoint Toby to lead the talented and dedicated staff across all our art forms at Penrith Performing & Visual Arts.”
The appointment is with immediate effect.
