Joff Whitten

Role
Committee Member for the East of England
Joff Whitten is the manager of Gecko Theatre, an award-winning and internationally-acclaimed physical theatre company; starting in Ipswich but touring across the UK and the world.

Gecko make devised physical theatre that is visual, visceral, ambitious and crafted to inspire, move and entertain. Gecko strives to make their work wide open to interpretation and put their audience at the heart of the narrative. Beyond the stage, Gecko aspires to open the doors on their process via every possible avenue, be it digital, in schools or through one-to-one relationships with their audience.

Before this role, Joff was the Arts Council England Bridge senior manager for Norfolk and Suffolk. The Bridge's mission is to connect children and young people with great arts, heritage and culture locally. Working with a variety of stakeholders across the region Joff supported leadership, networks and partnerships to deliver this ambition.

Joff has extensive experience working within the arts and heritage sector delivering programmes for people of all ages and backgrounds. Joff has also worked as the Gallery Education Manager at The Courtauld Gallery in London, using its world-renowned art history collection to encourage young people of all ages to discover, enjoy and engage with visual arts and culture. 

Earlier in his career Joff led the learning programme at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, set into 500 acres of the Bretton Hall estate, located near Wakefield. He has also worked for a touring orchestra that performed at various heritage sites and stately homes across the country.  Throughout his career Joff has developed an excellent understanding of the type of creative projects possible within a heritage location; especially those that offer opportunities for people of all backgrounds to engage with their local history, heritage and culture.

Joff is an artist and musician, he is a trained teacher and educator with an MSc in social education theory. He is the father of two wonderful young girls, a proud husband of an amazing woman and the voice of authority in the life of their dog.

Read more about Joff's experiences on the East of England committee.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.