The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. Artistic Directors of the Future is dedicated to increasing the number of BAME Artistic Directors in mainstream producing theatres across the UK. This is a fun, informative and practical development session, set in a safe and informal environment to encourage discussion, brain-storming and networking. You turn on the TV and you see blacks in adverts and you see blacks hosting the news and quiz programmes and you see yourself. To celebrate Black History Month the Bush Theatre is continuing its commitment to broaden the population of theatre-makers through a mixture of online and in-person activities. This piece is written solely for black actors so it's thrilling to see them together.

"In America, there is much more colour-blind casting," he explained. Are you a BAME director/practitioner with an interest in becoming an Artistic Director of a producing theatre building? White theatre director given job meant for black person Anthony Ekundayo Lennon: White theatre director who described himself as ‘African born again’ given job meant for people of colour If you think about the 70s and 80s you had Norman Beaton at the Royal Court and Derek Griffiths in The Black Mikado. It is as it should be because theatre is for all of us. It's crucial that we have people in all elements of theatre - publicity, marketing, just doing what everybody else does. I saw Fences the other night and I absolutely loved it. Famous female writers and directors can't get work at the National Theatre – so what hope do any women have? Theatre director Rufus Norris recently told the BBC that the UK still lags behind the US when it comes to casting black actors. Television is different - longer development time, more money, higher risk. Click on the banner to find out more. I think it will take us kick-starting things and for people not to be afraid if it will bring in a big crowd, I suppose.

There's no colour-blind casting going on, we have 17 black actors and you don't see that a lot on the stage in this country, do you? Artistic Directors of the Future is dedicated to increasing the number of BAME Artistic Directors in mainstream producing theatres across the UK. Reggie is establishing himself as a documentary maker on the BBC and in early 2011 he fronted the leading BBC3 show ... 39. There are still small companies but high-profile work?

Looking at the make-up of our audiences, for example, when we were in Richmond, the audiences were in the majority white and they were moved and completely engaged with it so that's the beautiful thing about it - that, in its specificness, it's universal.
It's amazing to me as we are so diverse in this country.

Here, some actors and directors share their thoughts. Norris is currently directing The Amen Corner at the National Theatre, written by playwright James Baldwin and featuring an entirely black cast, led by Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Troy's a bit like that but he loves his family and you can tell but it comes with a cost. With the support of the Bush Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Young Vic Theatre and the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme, we aim to support, nurture and promote the existing pool of talented, culturally diverse theatre directors in the UK.


It's making news - there are three at the same time - but it shouldn't be news. He is an actor writer and director, known for The Voice UK (2012), Top Of The Pops (2003 -) and Doctor Who (2007). A musical adaptation of The Color Purple opens at the Menier Chocolate Factory this week and Lenny Henry leads an all-black cast in a revival of the American play Fences at the Duchess Theatre. More and more of the big companies, the classical companies - you could do a Shakespeare and not worry about whether a brother is black and a sister is white because of the stature of the language. There are more black and Asian directors behind the scenes in theatre than television and when they up the ante on that, things will change.

How could a respected GP get away with murder?

It's like waiting for a bus and suddenly there's three of them and then you might be waiting again. I happened to go to university in Georgia, where it's set, in the 1970s and so I felt I had some connection with the material and I had a connection with the theatre. Full article How could a respected GP get away with murder? I felt slightly unsure if it was a good idea. The thing I find difficult about it is, yeah, great, let's celebrate that we're having these amazing shows and the face of theatre looks slightly different but it should be sustained.

Black actors did very well in the 70s. "In America, there is much more colour-blind casting," he explained. I think it's very refreshing in the case of The Amen Corner and in the case of this [The Color Purple] that it was written by African-Americans for black actor-singers. Disability arts organisations including Stagetext and VocalEyes have joined with groups from the sports, heritage and tourism sectors to call for renewed efforts to ensure progress around accessibility is not lost as a result of the pandemic, Leading UK drama schools have been called out by current and former black students for systemic and institutionalised racism, prompting calls for leadership overhauls and urgent action to address the issue, The Stage Debut Awards 2020 were presented at a virtual ceremony, which was filmed at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and hosted by & Juliet star Miriam-Teak Lee, on September 27, Joint effort needed to keep arts accessible post-Covid, disability groups warn, Creatives in Liverpool to march in protest at government’s lack of support for arts, NTS announces new works addressing race in Scotland, 'Festival of Brexit' is an exercise in nation-branding that's likely to prove divisive, Pearl Mackie and Jessica Raine cast in Nottingham Playhouse festival, RSC to release audio dramatisation of The Whip and Oppenheimer recording, Battersea Arts Centre announces digital autumn season, Emma Gladstone to leave Dance Umbrella with festival going online for 2020, High street rescue programme allocates £7.4m for cultural projects, The Stage Debut Awards 2020: winners in full, Business secretary criticised for suggesting workers should be in ‘better jobs’, Culture secretary promises rescue funding for theatres in October, Pantomime dames march to parliament to highlight crisis facing sector, Standard force majeure clause written to support theatre restarts, Sonia Friedman: chancellor 'outrageous' to suggest theatre not viable, Drama school racism: Students call out top schools and reveal stories of abuse, 'Pent-up demand' for theatre but audiences still cautious, survey shows, Chancellor accused of neglecting arts community in latest round of Covid support, The Stage Debut Awards 2020: winners in their own words, Winners of the 2020 Oliviers to be announced in October in 'innovative' format.

The celebrations include a series of videos titled Advice to my Younger Self, an online interview with Julie Spencer, Director of the School of Acting at Arts Ed, and an online and in-person Q&A with Mika … I had to think a little bit before I did this job about whether I, as a white man, should direct The Color Purple.

It's about a family, dads and sons and mums and daughters and all of the problems therein. It's history repeating itself because this has happened before. The session will focus on pathways in becoming an Artistic Director, as well as the artistic development implemented at Theatre in the Mill, to demonstrate how this process provides a strong relationship with audiences. These are external links and will open in a new window. Often when British black plays are put on, they're in fringe venues. It's such a multicultural society that we live in that I see no reasons why we can't put on as many different cultured plays as we can, West End or otherwise. We've got so much to say and there isn't enough being written now for black performers to perform in. With the support of the Bush Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Young Vic Theatre and the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme, we aim to support, nurture and promote the existing pool of talented, culturally diverse theatre directors in the UK. Of course, there's discrimination [for black, female directors] and my thing is that I'm absolutely behind getting people behind the scenes into directing, writing, producing.

That's the great thing about it, having great productions and good stories. I have been lucky and it doesn't happen often. And the other thing is that these are three American pieces, they're not even written by British writers. I think it's a gorgeous thing to be seeing and they're really great shows as well. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. We use cookies so we can provide you with the best online experience. Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role of Moses ... London, England. It should happen more. The 2020 Black British Theatre Awards programme will be produced by the Young Vic Theatre’s artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah and directors Charlie Di Placido and Kojey Radical. Please retry.