West End Cultural Centre names executive director

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This article was published 22/12/2017 (3076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the first time since its creation 30 years ago, the West End Cultural Centre has melded the artistic director and general manager roles into one executive director position.

The new position will be filled by Jason Hooper, the centre’s artistic director.

Hooper, in his almost 10 years at the venue, has worked just about every job — from house manager to community programming and volunteer co-ordination, and acting as interim general manager when the position was vacant between hires.

“The last couple of times we’ve hired a general manager, I haven’t been ready to take on that, I haven’t felt like that was something for me, but this time, I felt like, ‘Yeah I’m ready to take on a little bit more of that,’” Hooper says.

“I’ll be taking on most of the general manager responsibilities, but still retaining a bit of control in the programming. I’ll still be involved in the selection of shows and artists, what we’re going after, still be working some shows and working with agents.

“Part of what appealed to me about this was the ability to stay in the creative side,” he explains.

The former general manager, Jack Jonasson, left in early November.

The rest of the staff has been restructured to help support the new position, which Hooper took over on Dec. 19.

“I’m really looking forward to the next challenge for me, and I think we’re in a really good place going forward. And I told the board when we were talking about it and when they made it official, this is something I’m really proud to take on,” he says.

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @NireRabel