Talawa: To build back better, theatre must empower Black artists and leaders

The soul-searching of 2020 and the movement towards being anti-racist – rather than simply not racist – has made very clear that post-pandemic rebuilding in the arts must involve answering the questions raised by Black artists and communities around their sense of belonging in Britain.

In this context, Talawa and other Black theatre organisations are more important than ever: we need power in the hands of Black leaders and decision-makers in theatre.

We want the arts industry to read the room. The time for diplomacy on the part of organisations like ours, when talking about race and racism, is over. We want our partners to work in ways that are anti-racist, which means tackling unthinking discrimination and privilege, and accepting that these actions and practices will require a very real step change.

At Talawa, artists tell us that they don’t have to explain, justify or fight to be heard. But does that mean they have to fight to be heard or to justify themselves elsewhere?

As glass ceilings go, that’s a huge barrier in the way of Black artists experiencing the joy and pleasure of creating work. This situation also poses questions: which artists are allowed to fail, and are picked up again, and which aren’t? Or, which artists are asked to perform their trauma, and which aren’t?

Equating risk with race is a glass ceiling we will no longer bear – our experience shows that Black work sells

There is also a clear and present danger that as theatres reopen there will be an over-reliance on casting the same big names. We don’t want to miss the future Michaela Coel, Natasha Marshall or Paapa Essiedu.

Across communities, arts and culture, academia, scientific research, healthcare, schools and among pupils, the past 12 months has made the desire for change inescapable. We’re not alone in addressing this diversity of experiences, viewpoints and ways of being. Recent events have amplified that desire.

We know the future we want to see. Stepping back 20, 30, or 40 years in programming or casting decisions to satisfy a need for ‘normal’ hardens stereotypes and betrays future aspirations.

Equating risk with race is another heavy glass ceiling that organisations like ours will no longer bear. Our experience shows that Black work isn’t risky – Black work sells. Our record across 35 years of sold-out houses for classic and new work proves that. This is as true of other Black theatre organisations as Talawa. As an industry, we should be asking: who is coming and who isn’t, and why? We should all be reaching diverse audiences.

The reactions to our digital work demonstrate that there is a demand for digital content that talks about Black-lived experiences. Yet there is little Black work captured and streamed for all to see. There is a hunger to see our own narratives reflected authentically.

The industry must also go beyond entry-level programmes. Clear progression for Black creatives, producers and directors towards the West End and bigger stages cannot happen without meaningful pathways.

There has to be a concerted effort by commercial producers to work proactively with Black organisations, artists and creatives to programme Black productions.