Jane Attenborough

Jane Mary Attenborough (30 September 1955 – 26 December 2004) was an English arts administrator and arts manager. The eldest daughter of the actor and filmmaker Richard Attenborough and the actress Sheila Sim, she was first employed as overseas membership secretary at the Royal Academy of Dance. Attenborough later joined the Arts Council of Great Britain to its national touring programme in 1979 before moving to the Rambert Dance Company as dance liaison officer, expanding its education programme from schools activities to local community events. She died together with her daughter Lucy and mother-in-law in the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami while holidaying in Thailand on 26 December 2004. Early life and education Jane Mary Attenborough was born on 30 September 1955 in London. She was the eldest daughter of the actor and filmmaker Richard Attenborough and the actress Sheila Sim. Attenborough had two siblings: Michael and Charlotte. From her childhood, Attenborough was raised amongst people from the artistic world and she was focused on addressing a concern that many individuals lacked an opportunity to participate in the arts. Attenborough was educated at the Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton, before going on to enroll on a sociology course at the University of Sussex from 1973 to 1976. Career Attenborough's first role of employment was as overseas membership secretary at the Royal Academy of Dance for a short period of time in 1977. Attenborough subsequently joined the Arts Council of Great Britain and was assigned to its national touring programme, where she assisted the consultant Jodi Myers. In 1979, she joined the Rambert Dance Company as dance liaison officer, where she expanded its education programme from traditional schools activities to encompass local community events, before she was promoted to press and public relations officer, a position which she held from 1980 to 1984. After leaving the world of employment to raise a family, Attenborough was persuaded to join the National Organisation for Dance and Mime (later Dance UK) as administrator in 1985, leading its transformation from a minor lobbying group to an organisation with significant authority and impact.