Jenny Roberts, a dedicated arts administrator and mentor with more than four decades of experience in theatre and the arts, has died suddenly at the age of 66 due to a heart condition.

Born in Twickenham, southwest London, Roberts was the eldest child of Sally (née Loose), a primary school teacher, and Tony Roberts, an engineer. She spent her childhood in the Buckinghamshire village of Brill and attended Lord Williams’s comprehensive school in Thame, where she first developed a lasting interest in the arts. Following her study of geography at Swansea University, Roberts pursued a career in arts administration, beginning at the Old Fire Station arts centre in Oxford.

Roberts later managed the Limelight theatre at the Queens Park arts centre in Aylesbury and then the Linford arts centre in Milton Keynes. In 1998, she became the administrative director of the Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company, where she helped bring stage productions to rural and small-scale venues across the county, expanding public access to the arts.

In 2007, Roberts joined Arts Council England as a theatre relationship manager, relocating to Brighton where she felt a strong personal connection to the city and its surroundings. During her tenure, she oversaw relationships with numerous theatres and cultural organizations, including Rifco Theatre Company, which focuses on British South Asian stories. She served as executive director of Rifco from 2016 until 2022.

Beyond her professional work, Roberts was known for her warmth and interpersonal skills, easily forming friendships and supporting colleagues and artists alike. A lover of travel and outdoor activities, she enjoyed walking on the South Downs—often accompanied by her dog, Eric—and cycling holidays she occasionally led. Creatively inclined, she favored sustainable fashion practices, expressing her passion through knitting, sewing, and refurbishing clothing and furniture rather than purchasing fast fashion.

After her retirement, Roberts continued contributing to the community by volunteering her sewing expertise with Emmaus charity in Brighton and establishing a haberdashery section at the local Martlets hospice charity shop.

She is survived by her mother, Sally, her siblings Jill, Liz, and Will, as well as two nieces and three nephews.