Jonathan Lloyd, Artistic Director of Polka Theatre, is leaving after seven years to take up a new role as Artistic Director/ Chief Executive of Pegasus Theatre in Oxford.
During his time at the children’s theatre in Wimbledon, Jonathan has produced 40 productions for under 13s from groundbreaking new work to classic adaptations. The past seven years have seen Polka enjoy wide-ranging artistic success in its wonderfully colourful, playful child-centred building which is busier than ever.
Jonathan’s major achievements have included a sustained commitment to commissioning original new plays for children and development of the Early Years programme for ages 0 –5, establishing Polka as one of the major players in Early Years arts in Europe. He says: ‘I’m fiercely proud of all we’ve achieved at Polka over the past seven years, and will be very sad to leave. Polka is a rare and special place, a theatre dedicated to creating world-class work for children; there’s a fantastic team here and a vocal, supportive, demanding, passionate audience who have made my time here so enjoyable and fulfilling.’
Stephen Midlane, Executive Director of Polka Theatre, said: ‘We will all be very sad to see Jonathan go but wish him the greatest success at Pegasus. He has made a fantastic contribution to Polka, producing an impressive body of work that has successfully balanced hugely popular theatre productions alongside ground-breaking community projects that have engaged with a broad spectrum of children and families. His legacy will ensure that Polka continues to thrive and demonstrate on a daily basis the funand inspiration that children enjoy from the release of their imaginations.’
The Board of Trustees hopes to appoint a successor by the end of summer.