Saying Goodbye To My Beloved Arc and Moving on. Blog 129

Me in 1984 when we started Arc

Good morning on this bright Saturday morning! and happy birthday to my dear old Dad! 83 today - and still going strong after your little brush with the grim reaper last week. Pleased you are still here - really pleased!

So this is the big blog. I have returned from my virtual blog holiday in Mexico. It was lovely thank you!

In truth this holiday was a little strategic, because it came in a week when my focus and concentration was on completing a bid for just under £200,000 for Arc's Young Women's Programme -Raised Voices which if all goes well will be brilliantly realised by the talented Natalie Smith. Fingers crossed Nat! 

I was also silent here (although not on other social media platforms I am reliably informed!) because it was the week in which I finally tendered my resignation to the Chair of the Arc Theatre Board of management. About four weeks ago I decided that it was time for me to move on from Arc. It was a very grief filled and difficult decision - in a way akin to ripping off a limb. 

Olly

Olly and I founded Arc in 1984 and it has been our baby and joint creative vessel for 29 years. And its been a wonderful ship to travel in, with unexpected joys, huge challenges, many fabulous creative partners on the way (you all know who you are!) and ultimately a life that I hope will travel forward way beyond me. I have no doubt about that actually. Arc is made up of fantastically dedicated people and always has been. 

Me in 2002

Nita Bocking

The Pre-Raphaelite Theresa

Josh Cass - Thinking  - I think?

The unsung heroine of much of our success and my dear friend is Nita Bocking. As our General Manager for over 20 years she has been my confidante, critical friend, hand holder and has made me

Natalie

laugh a lot even in times of challenge! Thanks Nita. And to Olly of course, a wonderful artistic partnership that has allowed us both to grow as artists and I know that our artistic paths will pass again many times in the future. I look forward to that. And to Theresa, Natalie and Josh the Arc lieutenants - thank you for your relentless commitment, creativity and also your generous faith in me, your putting up with my extravagances and many moments of uncertainty. 

Phil

As well as saying goodbye! I would also like to welcome to Phil Gostelow to Arc as Associate Director of Music. Our collaboration over the past year has taught me a great deal and I have loved every moment of it. The great work that Phil and Olly are doing as their new composing duo Oliver and Gostelow promises great things for musical theatre. Watch this space - and look out for how they do on June 23rd in the semi-final for the Twitter Search for a composer competition.

You are a solid, creative and clever team and I know you will take Arc forward in ways I could never imagine. Good luck. And of course a huge thank you to my wonderful Board of Management - our Chair Mike and our dedicated Board team - Graham, Sid, Sarah, Yvette, Colleen, Dolores, Shamus, Bill, Tony. And our Arc Associate Artistic Director - Joss Bennathan and to our associates, Dani, Thierry, Andy, Grace, Pradeep and Dean. And of course our wonderful Patrons - Neville Lawrence and Jon Snow. Thank you. (starting to feel like an Oscars speech  - apologies!)

And also a goodbye and thank you to all my friends and colleagues in Barking and Dagenham who have supported our work at Arc for nearly 29 years - to Anne Bristow, Paul Hogan, Helen Jenner, Darren Rodwell, Nigel Sagar, Julie Spencer, Carl Blackburn, Cameron Geddes, Graham Letchford, Joan Brandon, Dee Smith, Glynis Rogers, Richard Goodwin, Andy Ewing, Jeanne Alexander, Tony Ramsay, John Middleton, S3A and so many more.

And the most important thank you left to last - to my beautiful long-suffering, kind and talented daughters - Grace and Phoebe, certainly my most lasting, fulfilling and love filled creative project! You are two wonderful and sassy young women and I love you eternally.

Me - Proud of Arc - Feb 2013

As for me - I will be a good neighbour - and even lend you a cup of sugar if you run out. Yesterday I got the keys to my new studio next door to the Malthouse at the Granary. My fledgling little solo company Jasmine Street got to take her first steps there yesterday! She is a bit nervous but ultimately really rather excited. I might have to wipe her sweated brow over the next few months from time to time probably. 

The Granary - Barking

Jasmine Street is a modest little solo project - a wrapper for my creative work and ideas - a Creative Laboratory/Ideas Factory. Its a place and a person and I look forward to inviting artists and collaborators into the street at the Granary to have a creative conversation, a cup of tea and dream up some new ideas! 

I am delighted that Jasmine Street will play her part in the future development of the Abbey Road Cultural Industries Quarter and I am very excited to be able to continue my work with Steve Drury (Development Director- Rooff - owners of the Malthouse and the Granary) and regeneration and arts leaders from Barking and Dagenham Council. 

And also and just as importantly Jasmine Street will be developing her international portfolio of commissions and plans to bring some of them home to Barking, starting with the visit in August of ARKA Teatr from Wroclaw in Poland. My soul home land.

So there you have it - bit emotional I must admit! But mostly excited and looking forward to the next bit of my personal and artistic journey.

Me - June 2013

Thanks to all those who have helped me to get here - you know who you are.

Have a lovely Saturday!