Matisse co-founder Nick Curwin to retire at end of 2026

Matisse co-founder and chair Nick Curwin, who sold his indies Firefly and The Garden to Shine and ITV Studios respectively, is set to retire at the end of the year.

Nick Curwin

After co-founding and selling the production companies Firefly (later rebranded as Dragonfly) in 2007 and The Garden in 2013, Curwin launched indie advisory service Matisse with CEO Scarlett Ewens in 2019, tapping Dragonfly exec Edwina Silver as creative director.

Curwin will remain with Matisse until the end of the year, with “business as usual throughout and beyond” his departure, the company said.

Ewens will remain focused on Matisse’s commercial, strategic and operational work, while Silver will continue to lead its development and creative offer.

Together they will advise existing and new clients across every stage of building and growing a production and content business, from strategy, development and winning new work to operations, profitability, financing, investment and M&A, the company said.

As the wider production landscape evolves, Matisse is increasingly helping clients adapt and grow, working with many as they expand beyond traditional commissioning into areas such as branded content and digital.

Silver will also be developing her executive coaching practice, taking on further short- and long-term assignments with creative leaders and producers across the industry.

Curwin said: “It’s been a privilege to have had a wonderful career in television, capped by a fantastic seven years with Scarlett and Ed. As I slope off shortly to enjoy other things, Matisse’s wonderful roster of brilliant clients remains in the most excellent, skilled and experienced hands.”

Ewens added: “I’ve had the enormous privilege of working with Nick for nearly 20 years, from Dragonfly and The Garden to Matisse. He is quite simply one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever worked with. His creative instincts, entrepreneurialism and ability to see what makes both a great programme and a great business are incredibly rare.

“After so many years building companies and advising clients together, I know his thinking almost as well as my own, and that perspective will always be part of Matisse. He’s also been a wonderful colleague and friend. Nick leaves Matisse in great shape, and Edwina and I are incredibly excited about what comes next.”