Saying farewell but not goodbye

celebrating the quiet strengths of Charlotte Mackie

Published:

After an incredible 13 years, Charlotte Mackie, Stopgap’s dedicated General Manager is leaving to pursue her career as a freelance Arts Manager and Producer.
Everyone at Stopgap wishes her all the best and a huge Stopgap hug for the future.

Charlotte sat at a desk listening to someone blurred in the foreground. Charlotte has caramel brown hair draped over her shoulders, blue eyes and she wears glasses. She sits with one hand raised to move her hair way from her face and she is wearing a burgundy top.

Charlotte sat at a desk listening to someone blurred in the foreground. Charlotte has caramel brown hair draped over her shoulders, blue eyes and she wears glasses. She sits with one hand raised to move her hair way from her face and she is wearing a burgundy top.

Stopgap’s centre of gravity

Whilst the company have been busy flying all around the world, as General Manager, Charlotte has kept us secure, safe and grounded and this has been no easy feat in recent years. Charlotte has been Stopgap’s centre of gravity.

Working throughout the pandemic, Charlotte held Stopgap with enormous generosity, while we could no longer connect through touch or continue our passion for moving together. Coming out of the pandemic, Charlotte created balance across all the different branches of Stopgap that through necessity had started to grow at speed.

It is Charlotte that in uncertain times kept us calm, rooted and strong with clear systems, inclusive communication and policies rooted in care for us all.

A Stopgap journey

Charlotte started with Stopgap as Administrator 13 years ago, and went on to become a Producer (Outdoor and Community Productions). During which she orchestrated and oversaw the community project ‘Moon Language’ and was instrumental in Stopgap’s groundbreaking community production the ‘Seafarers’ in Great Yarmouth.

The Seafarers was a large-scale outdoor production that involved a diverse cast of 75 professional and community artists and premiered at Norfolk and Norwich Festival. The project involved a two-year creative process, up-skilling local teachers in inclusive dance and co-creating a 45-minute production with set design by Curious Space and live music from folk rock band, Moulettes, receiving a 4-star review in the Guardian ‘A lyrical ode to the ocean’.

Charlotte also produced one of Stopgap’s most successful outdoor shows ‘Bill and Bobby’ starring Dave Toole OBE. Bill and Bobby performed for years both nationally and internationally.

  • "Having first recruited Charlotte to Stopgap over a decade ago it has been wonderful to see her grow and flourish as a dance manager and project specialist. Her time with the company has seen significant change and she has dealt with all things with her usual grace and style. She will be sorely missed, but you never really leave Stopgap, so I am sure we will collaborate with her again and wish her all the best for her future development."

  • “I have so many wonderful memories of Charlotte, Dave and I on the road together, Charlotte always made us all feel safe and supported. On a personal note, Charlotte has been an absolute champion for me, and I cannot thank her enough for sharing all the small things she noticed about how the company works and why that is important. She has always understood why Stopgap works in the way that we do, and she is very much a part of why that has worked”.

If you would like to join our team, we are currently looking for a new Head of Operations.