I have some news. I have been offered another job and will be leaving Solar Bear later this year, in October.

I love working here. I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve done to create opportunities for deaf artists and young deaf people in Scotland. There’s a brilliant, talented, welcoming team here, and I’ll be really sad to leave.

I joined the company 6 and a half years ago, and a lot’s changed since then. We’ve toured accessible theatre shows across Scotland with casts of deaf and hearing actors, like ‘The Arrival’ or ‘The Third Sister’. We’ve launched and expanded our programme of digital art, Solar Flares, and are about to run a pilot 2-week film school for emerging deaf film-makers, Solar Reels. Through our Make a Change bursary scheme we supported 11 deaf theatre makers to develop their skills and ideas. Our Deaf Youth Theatre has thrived, as has our community engagement work, and partnerships such as that with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

As a result, our future plans are now focused on digital and theatre work led by deaf artists, and creative engagement with the deaf community, and this will guide any plans for recruiting my successor, or successors.

So I hope that by leaving, it will make space for an exciting new chapter in Solar Bear’s story.

Jonathan Lloyd

Creative Director