The Port Theatre Society is very pleased to announce its new Executive Director, David Warburton.

David Warburton is currently the Managing Director for the Company at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB). A leading cultural institution, the RWB has earned a national and international reputation for itsimpassioned artistry and technical virtuosity and has received widespread critical acclaim for extraordinary performances of diverse classical and contemporary repertoires.

Warburton joined the RWB in 2013 and has served an integral role in reshaping the ballet company. His work at the RWB has taken him around the world including China, Colombia, Argentina, Italy, Germany, and many other destinations.

Since 2017, he led the organization in rebuilding its relationships with presenting partners, rapidly growing the company’s performance opportunities and presence abroad. In 2018, he led the RWB to join the Winnipeg Indigenous Accord, a multiyear commitment to answer the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. In response, the RWB Indigenous Advisory Circle was established as a promise to bring our communities closer together through inclusive, considerate, and accountable action.

His work in government advocacy and cultural diplomacy has meaningfully contributed to federal support for the arts and cultural sector during the pandemic. This has included crucial direct consultations with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Warburton is the Vice President of the Canadian Dance Assembly, a national arts service organization, that provides a strong voice for Canadian dance and supports the development of resources for the dance sector through its various programs and advocacy efforts.

He was appointed to the National Council in 2019 and currently serves as Chair of Ballet Companies Standing Council. In 2018, he was selected as one of nine emerging leaders for Dance/USA’s Institute for Leadership Training, a program supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, that focuses on shifting patterns of inequity in the dance.

He is also an organizing member of the Korean Society of Manitoba.

David Warburton will be moving to Nanaimo with his family and taking over the role currently served by Bruce Halliday, General Manager & Director of Programming. The board of directors, on behalf of our community,  thank Bruce for his dedication, exceptional leadership, and incredible commitment to the Arts. The Port

Theatre Society will continue working with Bruce in an advisory role though the transition, to take advantage of his over 40 years of experience in the live performance industry and his founding knowledge of the Port Theatre and this community.

The Port Theatre, 125 Front Street, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, V9R 6Z4
Ticket Centre: 250 754 8550 | tickets@porttheatre.com  | www.porttheatre.com