Chairman of LAMDA
Luke Rittner was appointed Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Dance on 1st September 1999. Prior to this, he was Communications Director for Sotheby’s Europe for seven years; assuming additional responsibilities as Director of Corporate and Public Affairs in January 1998.
Luke is one of Britain’s most experienced arts administrators, having gained a wealth of experience in a career that has ranged from running one of Britain’s leading festivals, the Bath Festival, to becoming Founder-Director of the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts, and to his most successful leadership of the Arts Council of Great Britain from 1983 to 1990 - a period of unprecedented challenge for the Arts Council.
After seven years as Secretary General of the Arts Council, he was appointed the UK’s Cultural Director for the World’s Fair in Seville. In this role, he devised a six-month festival of British arts events.
Luke Rittner has served on arts boards, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Council. He was a non-executive Director of Carlton Television until 1993.
He is Chairman of The London Chorus; a Trustee of the Hanover Band and a Patron of the New London Orchestra.
He has also undertaken many speaking engagements, both in the UK and internationally, on cultural/art issues.
Luke is an alumnus of LAMDA’s prestigious Two Year Stage Management and Technical Theatre Course, which celebrated its 40th Anniversary last year.