Helen Shute’s Gurus

John Ashford
Hofesh Shechter once said to me, “John Ashford is your Rabbi”, and it’s true. Short on spiritual guidance, my most sacred mantras come from the formative period I spent as Programming Associate at The Place where John was Theatre Director. He taught me to be unashamedly passionate about the artists I choose to work with, and to be dedicated to their vision rather than my own ideas. This lesson guides me as a producer and I often return to it when navigating the perils of policy and politics in my current role.

Karene Lyngholm
I met Karene at a meeting of the European Dancehouse Network. She was then Director of the Dansens Hus in Oslo and leading the building of an extraordinary space for the dance artists of Norway. She is a force to be reckoned with in a meeting, because her transparency and clarity in the way she makes her case leaves no room for persuasion or argument. On a visit to see her in Oslo, as I struggled under the weight of a new company, she gave me two pieces of advice: give time to prepare for every meeting, and keep a bag of nuts in your drawer. I have done both ever since.

Jemma Read
I have only had the pleasure of meeting Jemma on a couple of occasions, but each meeting has left a lasting impression. Our first encounter was a whirlwind of ideas and questions, I was left breathless after the most efficient and productive half hour meeting I’d ever had. Whilst always charming, kind and supportive, she has perfected the ability to cut to the chase.

Kingsley Jayasekera
I met Kingsley when we embarked on the London Escalator, a producing project that would take Hofesh’s work from The Place to the Queen Elizabeth Hall and then on to Sadler’s Wells. His straight talking, astute assessment of the market, and his creative and ambitious approach to finding an audience for the work were extremely refreshing, and I’ve continued to seek his advice and opinions ever since. He never fails not just to sell tickets but to find exactly the right audience for a particular work, which is probably the greatest gift you can give to an artist.

Robin Woodhead
Robin is the Chairman at Hofesh Shechter Company. He has taught me how to be an executive director without compromising my close friendships in the company. It’s a joy to watch him in a meeting, he knows exactly how long to listen before asking the all important question you know is coming, and he has a genuine enthusiasm for even the more mundane tasks of building an organisation, making everyone on the team feel valued.