IETM's new Secretary General 

We are happy to announce that Ása Richardsdóttir will take over the position of IETM's Secretary General from the 1st of February 2019. Ása is currently the director of Ice Hot Reykjavík 2018, the biannual Nordic Dance Platform, project ambassador for the Nordic Culture Fund, and a long-standing member of IETM.

Nan van Houte will remain Secretary General until the 1st of March 2019, and the network will bid her farewell during the IETM Spring Plenary Meeting 2019.
 
Ása has led a versatile career in arts, culture, academia, banking, politics and media, during three decades. She started her career at the age of twenty as a producer at RÚV State Television Iceland, became their news correspondent during her university years in England and once finished with her BA studies became a television reporter of international news at RÚV.
Having had a long time passion for the arts she took another path in 1994 when she founded a theatre, Kaffileikhusid. Since, Ása has worked in theatre and contemporary dance with a focus on international collaboration. She has held various positions within the performing arts, amongst, been executive director of Iceland Dance Company, president of Performing Arts Iceland and creative producer for various artistic projects. She has led various international networking events, festivals and projects and been a catalyst in bringing international attention to Icelandic performing arts and Nordic dance.

Ása has tought artistic management courses at the University of Iceland, the Iceland Academy of the Arts and at Bifröst University since the year 2001 and, since 2009 for various organisations in Europe. In 2017 she co-authored a guide for artists and producers who wish to work collaboratively and internationally, which can be downloaded for free on www.itstartswithaconversation.org.

Ása has a BA – honours degree in international relations and politics from the University of Kent at Canterbury, a diploma in European Cultural management / Fondation Marcel Hicter programme and finally she attained her MBA degree from Reykjavik University in 2003.

After the collapse of the Icelandic bank system in 2008 she was appointed one of five directors of the board of the New Landsbankinn, the largest resurrected bank in Iceland and served on the board for 2 years.

Ása has been active in politics, member of the Women’s alliance and later the Social Democratic alliance , served as city councillor in 2014-2018 and has been member and chair of several boards in politics, finance and the arts.

Ása's experience and vision will be a great asset for the network, and both the Board and the team are looking forward to working with her!