Live Arts community theater will be going through a couple of changes in the next few months. The Live Arts Board of Directors announced this afternoon the resignations of Executive Director Matt Joslyn, who has been with the organization for six and a half years, and Artistic Director Julie Hamberg, who has been there for five. Joslyn will stay on through the end of the summer, while Hamberg will be staying through the end of the month.
Live Arts, founded in 1990, provides a space for both children and adults to experience theater, music and acting in a community-theater setting.
While at the helm, Joslyn ran successful fundraising campaigns for capital and operational support, including a building remodeling to create open lobby spaces, and raising subscription levels by 350 percent. Joslyn’s focus while at Live Arts has been on bringing the community together, including his roles serving on the Cultural Plan Steering Committee for Piedmont Council for the Arts and working with the Virginia Commission for the Arts. In addition he directed four musicals and oversaw Live Arts’ participation in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
In her time with the organization, Hamberg sought to bring in productions that engaged a broader circle of the community, while directing five productions and serving as a mentor for all artistic work that came through the doors. She also increased community engagement through dozens of projects, including weekend intensives in acting, playwriting, technical work and directing.
According to the release, the Live Arts Board of Directors is working on transition plans.
“Again, we thank Matt and Julie for their commitment and passion, and for the ways they have shared these will all of us,” the release from the board of directors states. “Please join us in wishing them well on their next ‘stage.'”