Holly Kendrick to join HighTide Festival Theatre as Executive Director in July 2012

Holly Kendrick, Director and CEO of the National Student Drama Festival, is to join HighTide Festival Theatre as Executive Director in July 2012.

Kendrick will join HighTide following the International Student Drama Festival (22-30th June 2012) and will then partner with Artistic Director Steven Atkinson to lead the company together as joint CEO.

Kendrick has led the NSDF since 2006, during which time she produced five annual festivals in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and for 2012 has created the International Student Drama Festival in Sheffield; in partnership with Sheffield Theatres, University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, LIFT, RSC, Old Vic Tunnels, IdeasTap and London 2012.

Criona Palmer, Interim Chair of the Board said: "It's a reflection on the growing profile of HighTide that an arts executive of Holly's calibre has agreed to take on this new role. Holly is joining the company at an exciting and pivotal phase in its development and the board is confident she and Steven will be able to steer HighTide to even greater heights."

Kendrick has been working professionally as a producer for fourteen years. In addition to leading the NSDF, she founded the Caird Company with John Caird and led it as its producer between 2001-2005, and has worked in the touring department of The National Theatre between 1998-2001. She is currently on the boards of the Viviana Durante Company, Sheffield Theatres and is chairman of curious directive, who are producing two new plays, Binary, for HighTide Festival 2012.

http://www.hightide.org.uk/