About
Kate Cherry is an acclaimed arts leader and educator whose transformative work has shaped major cultural institutions in Australia and extended internationally. As Director/CEO of NIDA and Artistic Director/Co-CEO of Black Swan State Theatre Company, she spearheaded organizational turnarounds and program innovations that boosted prestige, audience engagement, and financial stability—such as moving NIDA into the world’s top 10 performing arts schools and securing multimillion-dollar funding for BSSTC. Kate’s leadership is marked by pioneering collaborations (e.g., first Australia–China National Theatre partnership), digital innovation (the country’s first theatre simulcast), and nurturing emerging theatre makers through tailored development programs. She has directed over 120 professional productions across theatre and opera—from Seattle Opera and New Zealand Opera to Sydney Theatre Company and Lincoln Center Theater Lab—and programmed seasons for multiple institutions, opening and repurposing performance spaces along the way.
