Elroy Fillis-Bell

With a strong business acumen and a strategically driven approach to upholding the integrity of the artistic product within a financially and socially sustainable environment, Elroy brings a wealth of expertise and skills to the role of Joburg Ballet CEO to which he was appointed in September 2023.

Elroy Fillis-Bell holds a BA Honours (University of Cape Town) in Theatre Directing and Drama Education and is completing his Master of Arts in Cultural Policy and Management at Wits University. He has a background in theatre and dance production, arts programme development, teaching, copyright licensing and arts management.

While at university, Elroy co-founded the arts development organisation, Bridgetown Theatre Company on the Cape Flats, serving as its musical director from 2009 - 2011. At the time, Bridgetown Theatre Company used arts education and public performance in public spaces to build community across generations, with performances including young children and senior citizens.

Elroy has been a United World Colleges scholar to Italy (2006-2009) and was selected for the South African-Washington International Programme in 2014. He served as the Regional Treasurer for the KZN chapter of the Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA) in 2015 and served as Chair of the South African National Committee for the United World Colleges Scholarship Trust of South Africa from 2018-2020. He currently serves on the board of Lawyers for the Arts South Africa (LASA), a young organisation working to build and support legal representation for arts workers in South Africa.

Elroy has worked for notable organisations including the Suidoosterfees Arts Festival in Cape Town and the Arena Stage at the Mead Centre for American Theatre in Washington, D.C. in the United States. He has served as Company Manager for the award-winning Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre, based in Durban, with work focusing on dance theatre education and public art performances.

Elroy moved to the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO) in 2016, where he ran the licensing division for visual arts, theatre and literature for five years. His role at DALRO included building a more copyright-compliant arts industry in South Africa and equipping visual artists, playwrights and authors with the necessary knowledge to safeguard their arts businesses and their intellectual property rights. Elroy was Senior Manager of Operations and Administration at the Javett Art Centre of the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) until August 2023. There he ran the contemporary art museum/art centre’s daily operations and exhibition productions and oversaw the post-Covid business strategy and sustainability plans. He built processes and policy that spoke to the organisation’s need to function as a financially sustainable enterprise.

In his role as Joburg Ballet CEO, he is driving substantial growth and professional development. Elroy is passionate about showcasing the arts as an invaluable part of community growth and advocates for contextualising our artistic work both socially and geographically.