THANK YOU!

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi everyone. This is not something I do often - be in front of a camera - but as I step into my final week at Theatre Centre, I thought I'd go over myself, because I wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

Theatre really isn't ever a solo act is it? It's sort of full of voices and brilliant people and relentless energy and ideas, and I feel really incredibly lucky to have collaborated with so many brilliant artists and writers and teachers colleagues, and most importantly, young people. The young people who never fail to challenge, to disrupt and reshape our thinking, and who are really at the heart of what we do, at Theatre Centre, to the writers who have crafted entire worlds, to the teachers who have created space for those worlds to take root and for the artists who make them to come alive. Massive thank you. Your work doesn't just entertain. I've seen first-hand how they transform lives.

And right now that work is more important than ever. Theatre, especially new writing, is hard to make, but it's vital. It gives young people the chance to explore new perspectives, to sit with complexity, to reflect their realities back to the adults around them. It's a space where they can push boundaries, ask the impossible questions and really be heard. So while my time at Theatre Centre is coming to a close, the mission continues, and I am so excited to see what comes next. Eleanor steps in as Artistic Director very soon, with an energy that tells me great things are coming. I have no doubt that she and the team will take Theatre Centre into a bold and brilliant new chapter.

To everyone who has been part of the journey, I really just want to say a massive thank you. Keep creating, keep questioning, keep making space for the next generation to take centre stage. It's been a blast.

Thank you. See you soon.