Page 171 - FINAL_Guildhall Media Highlights 2019-2020 Coverage Book

22 June 2020

HighTide's Lighthouse Programme Has

Supported Over 150 Artists In Lockdown

In these uncertain times, HighTide, as an artist-led National Portfolio organisation, are
committed to supporting artists and have already engaged with over 150 artists through
their Lighthouse Programme. Over the last three months, 53% of the company's expenditure
(excluding staffing) has gone towards the creative fees of the 30 freelance staff engaged
during the lockdown period, 32% of these being artists of colour. HighTide have prioritised
their commitment to new work by developing innovative free schemes and partnerships;
including a groundbreaking online workshop programme with Guildhall School of Music &
Drama that has seen a further 15 of the UK's leading writers and freelance directors have the
opportunity to develop new plays with third year acting students.

Suba Das, Artistic Director of HighTide, comments, As the country begins to adjust to a "new
normal", so we at HighTide also turn our attention from the immediate programmes of
support we announced in the first week of lockdown in March, to new plans for the medium
term. It's humbling to take a moment's pause and look back on what we have already
managed to achieve, thanks to our supporters but most especially the incredible network of
freelance artists who are the lifeblood of our sector. We're a small company but together,
we've reached thousands of audience members and hundreds of vulnerable young people,
creating moments of joy and learning in dark and troubling times. That's absolutely what
HighTide stands for and we will continue to do all we can to keep artists and audiences
creative.

Orla O'Loughlin, Vice Principal and Director of Drama at Guildhall School, comments,
Working with HighTide has given our students a unique opportunity to experience the
development of new work during this time of lockdown. Our actors have benefited
enormously from taking part in online rehearsals and workshops of new and contemporary
plays alongside leading writers and directors, and we're hugely grateful to HighTide for
enabling this crucial training as part of our online teaching this term.

Freelance director, former Artistic Director of the Bunker Theatre and now HighTide
Associate Artist, Chris Sonnex adds, Theatre is in such a precarious situation and the world
seems like it is burning but It's been a privilege to play the tiniest of parts and watch Suba
and the HighTide team react to all of that with kindness, innovation and gently holding the