Castle of our Skins names new curators for Season 14

Castle of our Skins has named cellist Francesca McNeeley as Music Curator and producer-director Lyndsay Allyn Cox as Interdisciplinary Curator & Artistic Producer ahead of its 14th season. The new shared leadership model replaces a single artistic director and signals the Boston nonprofit’s next phase of growth, with Season 14 set to be announced in August 2026.

Why it matters: - Castle of our Skins is moving to a collaborative artistic leadership model instead of naming a direct replacement for co-founder and Artistic Director Ashleigh Gordon. - The change is designed to reflect the organization’s growth, interdisciplinary approach and community-centered mission. - The new structure will shape Season 14 and support the organization’s next phase, including its future home at 566 Columbus Ave.

What happened: - Castle of our Skins named Francesca McNeeley as Music Curator and Lyndsay Allyn Cox as Interdisciplinary Curator & Artistic Producer. - The appointments were announced as the organization prepares for Season 14. - The search took place during Gordon’s final season as Artistic Director. - Gordon said last year that Season 13, Black Declaration of Independence, would be her last season in the role.

The details: - McNeeley is a Haitian-American cellist, educator and arts leader. - McNeeley has performed throughout Castle of our Skins’ history and has also served as a teaching artist and contributor to educational initiatives. - McNeeley is a member of the Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry. - McNeeley received a 2025 Sphinx MPower Award for research into Haitian chamber music. - Cox is a Boston-based producer, director and interdisciplinary curator focused on storytelling, artistic collaboration and community engagement. - Cox previously served as Producing Director at The Huntington and Senior Director of Programs and Experiences at Boston Center for the Arts. - Cox’s directing credits include Tiny Beautiful Things, Chicken and Biscuits, Splash Hatch on the E Going Down and Lizard Boy. - Cox won a 2022 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director and was named to WBUR’s ARTery 25 in 2019. - The organization said McNeeley and Cox will curate and produce Season 14 programming. - The Season 14 announcement will be unveiled in August 2026.

Between the lines: - The leadership change suggests Castle of our Skins wants to broaden artistic decision-making across disciplines rather than centralize it in one role. - McNeeley’s long relationship with the organization gives the transition continuity on the music side. - Cox brings outside production and theater leadership that could expand how Castle of our Skins stages and packages its programming. - Wells framed the move as part of strategic growth and said the organization wanted a model that matches its collaborative culture.

What’s next: - Castle of our Skins will release its Season 14 lineup in August 2026. - McNeeley and Cox will guide programming as the organization moves toward its future home and next growth phase. - The organization plans to continue centering Black composers, Black artistry and cross-disciplinary work.

The bottom line: - Castle of our Skins is entering a new era with two curators at the helm, betting that shared leadership will better match its artistic ambitions and community roots.