Posted on November 24th, 2021
It was announced today that our Artistic Director, Suba Das will be leaving HighTide next spring to take up the role of Creative Director of The Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres.
The Board, Executive Director Rowan Rutter and the HighTide team send Suba huge congratulations and all our best wishes for the next stage in his successful theatre career. Although we are very sad to see Suba go, the appointment is a tremendous affirmation of what he, Rowan and the team have accomplished at HighTide over the past three years. We know that Suba will do his best to develop the very warm relationship which exists between our two theatre organisations and will continue to be a major ambassador for HighTide and its work even after he has moved from the East to the North-West.
Suba will remain as Artistic Director of HighTide until 31 March 2022 (the end of our current financial year). During that time, HighTide will be touring When the Long Trick’s Over (written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, directed by Chinonyerem Odimba) to nine venues in the East of England and Oxford. This is the first production toured by HighTide since the pandemic began and follows the recent successful Inventing the Future Festival held at our new home in Ipswich at The New Wolsey.
In the New Year, the Board will undertake a review of the next stage of HighTide’s plans with our community, artistic associates, alumni and other artists and partners from across the East of England. Listening to these collective views will ensure that HighTide is in the best form to execute the exciting strategy developed by Suba and Rowan over the past 3 years.
The review will also be driven by HighTide’s continuing commitment to the Let’s Create strategy and Investment Principles of Arts Council England.
Our strategy – a summary of which is set out below – allows HighTide to take forward its work in the East of England in developing new and diverse projects which meet the needs and ambitions of our community.
The new role for the new Artistic Director – which will be advertised after the review be a very attractive one, as a result of Suba and Rowan’s incredible work, and we look forward to the new person joining the HighTide team and bringing their talents to delivering the strategy for our stakeholders.
Working with Rowan, Suba leaves HighTide in a strong and healthy condition – artistically and financially – and, going forward, the Board will continue to ensure that HighTide and our team of executive staff and artists have the resources and support necessary to carry on their work.
We continue to see a very bright future for HighTide in the East of England.
Tim Clark, Chair
