Tacchi-Morris - Latest News
September to December 2010 |
 This will be my last programme as Director of the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre. Louise Cook will be taking up the reins from September. However, I shall continue to work for the Centre, albeit in a more strategic role, for the foreseeable future.
The dream of building a Performing Arts Centre at Heathfield began some twenty years ago when we brought young people from twenty different countries, together for a month, culminating in performances of the Peace Child musical, which I directed, in London.
This was the beginning of an incredible journey - working with the Tacchi-Morris Trust and Heathfield Community School to secure National Lottery Funding, acting as the Project Champion in getting the Centre built and getting the opportunity to be involved in the design of the building which everyone enjoys performing in and which has inspired many similar projects. Another highlight was applying for Arts College status which has given me, as the Director of the Centre, so many opportunities to provide really meaningful participatory projects for Young People and the wider community. Over the last ten years I have programmed some thirty seasons, over a thousand productions and seen some twenty thousand young people perform here, alongside all the rest of the varied work we do, including our extensive programme of Community Classes for Adults and Young People which some 200 people attend every week.
Most recently, we have fulfilled our long-term ambition of providing a full-time Theatre Training at Further Education Level with the opening of The SPACE, a £2.4 million development, which again, gave me the opportunity to get involved in the design of the building and development of the course which has been a really rewarding experience.
I would like to take this opportunity thank all of the people who have helped and supported our work during the last ten years: Heathfield Community School, the Tacchi-Morris Trust, my colleagues, TMAC Volunteers, our audiences, artists and performers. I would especially like to thank all of the young people and their teachers for helping to turn the dream of the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre “to be a Centre of Excellence in the Performing Arts in Education”, into a reality.
With very best wishes for the future.
Steve Elliott
Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre Director
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