Former Sadler’s Wells artistic lead Eva Martinez joins Lowry

Dramaturg Eva Martinez has been appointed the Lowry’s new associate programmer for dance, joining the Salford venue after a recent role as artistic programmer at Sadler’s Wells in London.

Martinez succeeds Eckhard Thiemann, who steps down after a decade overseeing dance at the theatre. Alongside her work as a programmer, Martinez is a performing arts curator and business coach.

Her career includes a previous post as dance and performance programmer at London’s Southbank Centre. She is also chair of Pagrav Dance Company, which performs and teaches Kathak, a form of Indian classical dance.

Commenting on her appointment, Martinez said she was excited to bring her experience and passion for dance to the Lowry.

“I am very much looking forward to bringing my expertise as a curator and my love for dance to the Lowry’s theatres and audiences,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to collaborating with artists and Lowry colleagues to create opportunities in what is a difficult climate for the arts, while building on the remarkable work of my predecessor Eckhard Thiemann.”

Steve Cowton and Matthew Eames, co-heads of theatre at the Lowry, paid tribute to Thiemann’s contribution as they welcomed Martinez to the role.

“Lowry is a platform for the most significant artists and companies working in dance nationally and internationally and we are extremely grateful to Eckhard for the profound impact he has had on our dance programme over the past 10 years,” they said.

They added: “Eva is a hugely talented and respected programmer, producer and dramaturg and exactly the right person to further develop the programme.”