Beth launches the Big Give!

Posted on December 2nd, 2025

I have had the utter joy of working for HighTide for the last two and a half years. In my role as Development Manager I get to meet our wonderful communities – from those involved in our productions and our playwriting community, to the primary school children we work with and our brilliant supporters and funders. As well as these glorious groups of people, it is such a privilege to work alongside a small but mighty team who support me and make me laugh, especially when the fundraising landscape is tricky!

This year, I am delighted to say that we are taking part in our first ever Big Give Christmas Challenge. (HighTide and I have that in common, as this is my first time leading on a Big Give campaign!)

This is a huge moment for HighTide. So please read on to see how you can help support HighTide this season of giving and also spot the terrible pun I’ve made along the way…

From the 2nd – 9th December 2025, we need your help! For just one week, every pound you donate to our fundraiser will have double the impact as a result of our generous match funders including the Reed Foundation. 

This Christmas, help HighTide today to help the writers of tomorrow! From children writing their first stories to playwrights embarking on their first commission, HighTide is committed to platforming the extraordinary talent in the East of England. 

Opportunities to access the theatre industry are often focused around metropolitan centres, with regional voices struggling to break through. We believe the industry needs to nurture and platform more regional writers in order to contribute to a healthy arts ecosystem. The East also sees wide areas of deprivation and, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, children’s literacy, oracy, teamwork and communication skills are at an all-time low.

We’ve been championing writers from the East of England for the last 18 years with HighTide alumni now writing for theatre, film and TV. And with your help, we can continue to nurture and empower our community of playwrights and storytellers by:

1. Touring productions across the East of England and beyond, allowing us to be advocates for regional writers, so their voices can be heard. We’d be able to offer job opportunities for creative freelancers. We would bring live theatre of excellent quality directly to audiences across the East of England and beyond.
2. Ensuring writers are at the heart of HighTide by running two, free writer development programmes for East of England playwrights. We already have a growing network of over 600 members who attend monthly skills workshops. Our Writers Group supports 7 writers who receive a year-long paid programme, mentorship from leading playwrights and a showcase to industry professionals.
3. Our impactful work with school-aged children has increased as we continue to deliver free storytelling workshops to over 100 children in Lowestoft, Suffolk. We use improvisation techniques, and storytelling and devising exercises in order to build their imaginations and vocabulary, increase their teamwork and literacy skills, and grow their confidence.

HighTide’s Impact

1. We give 600+ East of England playwrights the tools to pursue a writing career. Previous feedback has been: “The Group is really one of a kind in the region. It’s made me a better playwright with exciting opportunities lined up as a result.” 
2. We give space for regional writers to create stories that reach over 5,000 audience members: “This show has been transformational. I felt really supported by HighTide to take risks.”
3. Our aim is to increase literacy, oracy and teamwork skills in 100+ children: “English and topic work has expanded in quality, vocabulary and confidence.”

Ho-ho-how your support can help us this Christmas…

Our work is only possible through the support of our brilliant communities and I’m really hoping this Big Give Christmas Challenge will show just how big an impact we have, when we work together! Thank you!