Dear colleagues and friends, this is my last week as CEO of Tees Valley Arts, and although I will occasionally be around doing some final bits and bobs for TVA, and in my future as a freelancer (again), this is really me waving the big goodbye! I joined TVA (Cleveland Arts) in 1999, so this has been eighteen years packed full of challenge, joy, angst, discomfort, interest, excitement, pride, satisfaction and emotion, shared with a great variety of partners and colleagues – most of whom have been marvellous!!
I think the Tees Valley does stand at the brink of a bright new dawn, culturally speaking, and that will be good for all the artists working here, all the visitors staying here, and – crucially – all the people living here. I wish the area well, and I wish TVA absolutely all the best for its own future part in the Teesside renaissance. Lastly, I want to thank the TVA Board of Trustees for all their time and effort, so generously given, and to thank Peter and Miki, my TVA colleagues, for all their hard work, dedication, commitment, vision and good humour. So long, it’s been a blast!