So, after 12+ years at Theatre in the Mill I decided it was time for a change, and in December of this year I will be making that change, which is both really terrifying and deeply exciting. I’m pretty proud of what we’ve collectively done at Theatre in the Mill (and I’ll write about that more soon) and even more proud to be able to hand on a bloody great job in a great city with some great partnerships to someone.

So what next?

Well……

Firstly, I’ve had the great joy of directing some great people over the last few year, people like Stella Grundy, Luca Rutherford, Marcus Hercules and Displace Yourself Theatre – so I’ll continue doing that, I hope.

Secondly, I’ve got some shows to make as Two Tonne – the first ‘Ties’ will be shown as part of the Bradford Literature Festival in May (funding permitting – fingers very much crossed) another organisation it’s been an absolute pleasure to watch and in a small way help grow. I intend that the show will tour some time in 2017. I’d like that the performance arm of what Two Tonne will find different ways of working with audiences and venues (that’s the ‘with not for’ tagline) and start to address things around equity, access and explore some political ideas.  The name is a play on Two Tone, I’d like the company to have a similar ethos.

Thirdly, I’ve found in my time at the Mill the great pleasure in supporting artists make (and consider differently) new work – I’d like to continue that but in a longitudinal, more complex way than Theatre in the Mill has allowed me to do. I’d like to work with young people who might not normally go down the University/Drama School route, I’d like to work with artists at the beginning, middle and late career stages. The hows on that are still being worked out as are the where’s. I do know that I’d like that work to be considered in terms of liveness, of audience and of place/venue.

I’d like here to thank everyone, everyone who has contributed to my learning at the Mill – the artists, the audiences, the University of Bradford, the City, the Arts Council, the other venues, ANNABEL TURPIN, my friends. Everyone. It’s been (and still is for a bit) an amazing experience.