TAPA appoints Annemieke Wade as new executive director
iPhoto caption: Photo of Annemieke Wade courtesy of TAPA.
The Toronto Alliance for Performing Arts (TAPA) has appointed Annemieke Wade as its next executive director.
Wade steps into the position with an extensive background in theatre, with past roles including executive director of Roseneath Theatre and Theatre Direct and company manager of Tarragon Theatre. Her passions as an arts leader include increasing accessibility to the arts and promoting diverse voices both on and off the stage.
“Annemieke’s dedication to the arts and her extensive experience make her a good match for TAPA,” said outgoing executive director Jacoba Knaapen in a press release. “She will be an invaluable addition to the team and a strong advocate for our community.”
“I’m honoured to be trusted with this immense responsibility, and I know that I am standing today on the shoulders of giants who have advocated so fiercely for the performing arts and are every part of the TAPA story and legacy,” said Wade. “I made my home in Toronto many years ago and found a warm and welcoming community that embraced and nurtured me, and I am exhilarated to follow in [Knaapen’s] footsteps serving the artists of the city that has offered me more than I could have imagined was possible.”
Wade will officially step into the role on January 6, 2025.
TAPA represents 119 professional theatre, dance, and opera companies in Toronto. The coalition’s major initiatives include the hipTIX discount ticketing system and the annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards for excellence in live performance in Toronto. You can learn more about TAPA here.
Aisling Murphy
Aisling is Intermission's senior editor and an award-winning arts journalist with bylines including the Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, CBC Arts, CTV News Toronto, and Maclean's. She likes British playwright Sarah Kane, most songs by Taylor Swift, and her cats, Fig and June. She was a 2024 fellow at the National Critics Institute in Waterford, CT.
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