The Finborough Theatre has appointed Milla Jackson as its first-ever Development Director.
Artistic Director Neil McPherson said of the new position:
“Off-West-End theatre is currently facing an unprecedented series of challenges. In January 2022, we signed the Equity Fringe Agreement for our own in-house productions, and abolished all rental fees for visiting productions, but we are anxious to go further, hence the creation of this new role of Development Director. Although the position is part time at present, we are certain that it will have a massive impact on the future of the theatre, enabling us to maintain and expand our ambitious programme of vibrant new writing and unique rediscoveries, while also ensuring that our ticket prices remain affordable and accessible, and our casts and creative teams continue to be properly paid. We are convinced that Milla’s appointment will be another step towards our goal of ensuring the Finborough Theatre has a better, fairer and more sustainable future – for us, for all those who work with us, and for all those who see our work.”
New Development Director Milla Jackson said:
“The Finborough Theatre has always been an organisation with tenacity, boldness, and determination, particularly in times of adversity, as demonstrated by its recent digital innovation, #FinboroughFrontier to choose just one example. It is a privilege to be a part of the theatre’s continuous rise to current challenges, and I look forward to supporting it to achieve its ambitious goals for equity and creativity long into the future.”
New Development Director Milla Jackson’s career began in one of the most competitive cities for arts funding, New York, at Atlantic Theater Company. She was subsequently funded by ACE Catalyst funding to establish development capacity and sustainability as Development Manager at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill, and Head of Development at Jacksons Lane Theatre. She trained at the National Arts Fundraising School. She has also worked across the third sector in heritage, health, and higher education, specialising in major donor, individual and legacy giving, but her particular interest is in supporting financial sustainability in smaller organisations with big mission statements, to help fuel their creative fires long into the future. Alongside her development work, Milla is also an experienced arts publicist, performing arts teacher, and director.
Founded in 1980, the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre presents plays and music theatre, concentrated exclusively on vibrant new writing and unique rediscoveries from the 19th and 20th centuries, both in our 154 year old home and online through our #FinboroughFrontier digital initiative.
Our programme is unique – we never present work that has been seen anywhere in London during the last 25 years. Behind the scenes, we continue to discover and develop a new generation of theatre makers.
Despite remaining completely unsubsidised, the Finborough Theatre has an unparalleled track record for attracting the finest talent who go on to become leading voices in British theatre. Under Artistic Director Neil McPherson, it has discovered some of the UK’s most exciting new playwrights including Laura Wade, James Graham, Mike Bartlett, Jack Thorne, Nicholas de Jongh and Anders Lustgarten, and directors including Tamara Harvey, Robert Hastie, Blanche McIntyre, Kate Wasserberg and Sam Yates.
The Finborough Theatre won the 2020 London Pub Theatres Pub Theatre of the Year Award, The Stage Fringe Theatre of the Year Award in 2011, London Theatre Reviews’ Empty Space Peter Brook Award in both 2010 and 2012, and was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2017 and 2019. Artistic Director Neil McPherson was awarded the Critics’ Circle Special Award for Services to Theatre in 2019. It is the only unsubsidised theatre ever to be awarded the Channel 4 Playwrights Scheme bursary eleven times.
You can read about our work at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk