A Fond Farewell to our Chief Executive, Andrew Comben
After sixteen years at the helm, we’re soon to say a fond farewell to our Chief Executive, Andrew Comben. We caught up with him to chat about his Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival highlights, past, present and future.
1. What an epic journey you’ve had at Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival! Tell us about some of the major highlights...?
There have been so many over sixteen years! Of course, reopening the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre was a real – and hard-won – highlight. It’s also easy to point to the large-scale, high profile work – whether that be Anish Kapoor’s C Curve sculpture on the South Downs; the Dr Blighty video projections on the Royal Pavilion; choreographer Hofesh Shechter’s Political Mother in 2010; or Kae Tempest’s unforgettable spoken word performance in the Concert Hall at Brighton Festival 2017.
2. Any personal favourites?
Some of my personal highlights have been seeing the moments where people taking part have had a transformational experience – young people performing the song they’d written with Ed Sheeran at a Create Music schools visit; or Three Score Dance performing Pina Bausch’s The Nelkin Line on the seafront as part of Brighton Festival. We offer so many opportunities that will stay with me and with the people who experience them for a lifetime.
3. Over the years as Chief Executive, you’ve seen Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival grow and evolve as a creative hub in the heart of the city – what impact has this had across our artists and communities?
Brighton & Hove is such a creative city and we’re aware that Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival can’t - and shouldn’t try to - do everything. However, it can play a really important role as an anchor for many creative artists and organisations and as a beacon for audiences. We’ve really concentrated on growing our role as a supporting partner for organisations and individuals across the region, many of whom are doing brilliant work on very scarce resources. This has hopefully enabled their work to develop and offered increased opportunities for communities to get involved that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.
We’ve also really embraced our role as the lead organisation for Create Music, the music education hub for Brighton & Hove and East Sussex, now working in partnership with West Sussex Music Trust too. This brings all sorts of opportunities for young people to be connected to professional music artists and facilities and encourages more young people to take part and explore their own creativity.
4. The role of arts and culture is always a hot topic for public debate. Why do you think arts and culture are important? What can they bring to our lives?
As author Michael Rosen says so beautifully, the arts enable us to explore thoughts and feelings in a way few other things can. They help us feel what others feel, think about our place in the world and explore alternatives to that world. This is what artists – and their audiences – do every time they make, perform or experience a creative piece of work. This feels more important than ever and we should help everyone to have access to that opportunity.
Additionally, the sort of creative thinking and attention to detail that making art requires is more and more sought after by employers across an enormous range of careers. So if we’re thinking about how to best equip our young people with skills for the future, arts and culture needs to be a part of a rich curriculum.
5. You’ll also be moving on from Brighton! What will you miss most about the city?
Yes, I’m leaving a city I’ve grown to love but will return to it often and am hugely grateful for everyone’s support over the last sixteen years. Brighton’s openness and sense of possibility is something I have valued so much, both personally and professionally, and I hope I’ll be able to keep some of that spirit and energy as I move to another beautiful part of the English coast, in Suffolk.
The Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre refurbishment designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and supported by Brighton & Hove City Council, Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, alongside trusts and foundations and many individual donors.
Dr Blighty created by Nutkhut, co-commissioned with 14-18 NOW, brought together by a creative team including Tom Piper and made in partnership with Royal Pavilion & Museums.
Family Day Take Part presented by African Night Fever and Brighton & Hove Black History. In partnership with Writing Our Legacy
Create Music supported by Mayo Wynne Baxter.
