Lord Sainsbury

We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Lord John Sainsbury last month. Lord John, Anya and the Linbury Trust have been closely associated with the School for many years and their support and dedication has been instrumental in helping to make Rambert School what it is today. We would like to thank former Principal & Artistic Director of Rambert School, Ross McKim, for his moving tribute.

“Lord John took Rambert School up, shook off any dust and launched it into its future.  He was totally honest, artistically crystal clear sighted and afraid of no one and nothing. He did not want to be the school’s new Chairman but stood solidly behind Tony Dyson, who so sensitively and knowledgeably took on the job. Every step of the way he shared and increased his wisdom with his wife, Anya Sainsbury.

In spite of being one of the busiest men in London Lord John became head, principal funder and often hidden chief visionary of a new Building Committee through The Linbury Trust, the UK-based grant-making foundation established by Lord John and Anya. As such he saved the school; probably more than once. He gave no one an easy ride.  Any meeting he attended was a no holds barred affair and not infrequently deeply exciting.

He was fierce but he protected us. For it looked, for a while, like our tiny world class centre for the study of dance creativity, might not survive.  It was threatened with being swamped and dismembered by a huge university.  When he heard of this he said decisively, “Something must be done,” and I think he thumped the table.  He went on to provide at the school one of those financially sound artistic miracles which littered his life like a myriad of stars.”

Ross McKim MA PhD NBS (IDP).

Principal Rambert School 1985- 2015