400 sign Black Lives Matter letter urging theatres to commit to inclusivity

Paapa Essiedu, Miriam-Teak Lee (photo: Alex Brenner) and Giles Terera

Paapa Essiedu, Miriam-Teak Lee and Giles Terera are among more than 400 signatories of a letter to theatres calling for “urgent actionable reform” to make the sector more inclusive in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The open letter, addressed to members of the Society of London Theatre and leaders of venues across the UK, outlines five steps theatres can take to create an anti-racist workplace.

It has been written by new group the Black Theatre Collective, which said it was “born of a collective acknowledgement that we can and must do more to create a more inclusive British theatre industry” and is supported by theatremakers of all races.

Other signatories of the letter include Bola Agbaje, Jamael Westman, Jack Thorne, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Duncan Macmillan, Hayley Atwell, Solange Urdang, Haydn Gwynne, Jason Pennycooke and Cleve September.

The letter urges theatres to make the following commitments:

Hire and retain diverse teams across all departments.
Ensure that wig heads of department and their deputies are trained in afro hair by summer 2021.
Provide appropriate skin tone make-up, underwear and physio strapping for performers.
Make space for a broader range of publications on press night to ensure works are critiqued by a diverse audience.
To do outreach work with young people from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds.

The letter states: “Whether we are producers or sound designers, writers or stage management, swings or wig makers we rely on each other every night when the lights go down to tell our stories.

“It is that awareness of our interconnectedness that gave many of us hope when we saw so many of you post messages of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Yet, this optimism was tinged with the realism of our lived experience while working alongside many of you and the times when you have failed us.”

It adds: “We are in urgent need of and expect actionable reform. We stand alongside you in this moment of self-reflection optimistic that newly awakened to these failures we shall make concerted efforts to address Industry wide issues that alienate your Black colleagues. We cannot accept empty gestures.”

The letter in full:

To Britain’s artistic directors, executive directors, producers and members of the Society of London Theatre.

Dear British theatremakers,

We are currently experiencing one of the biggest challenges we have ever had to face as a result of Covid-19. Perhaps this is why, after the brutal murder of George Floyd, the world has had time to pause and reflect on how we have arrived here as a society.

Across industries, from sport to education to publishing, we have witnessed an unprecedented level of self-examination, attempting to address complicity in racism – be that opting for silence rather than speaking out in solidarity, unconscious bias caused by ignorance or more blatant displays of prejudice. As an industry, we must not be above this rigorous self-examination.

We have watched you, our friends, colleagues and employers plead our case to the government and extolled the value and virtues of our industry. As theatremakers, we understand the importance of storytelling and it was our passion and commitment to telling stories that brought us all here. Whether we are producers or sound designers, writers or stage management, swings or wig makers, we rely on each other every night when the lights go down to tell our stories. It is that awareness of our interconnectedness that gave many of us hope when we saw so many of you post messages of support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet, this optimism was tinged with the realism of our lived experience while working alongside many of you and the times when you have failed us.

It could be the frustration of being given black tights and being told they are “skin-tone” or the dog-whistle racist language bemoaning “diversity” in a review. Sometimes it is knowing that the only Black people employed by the production are onstage, with no thought to the creatives or offstage team. At other times, it is just in the homogeneity of the work you choose to make and the stories you choose to tell.

We are in urgent need of and expect actionable reform.

We stand alongside you in this moment of self-reflection optimistic that, newly awakened to these failures, we shall make concerted efforts to address industry-wide issues that alienate your Black colleagues. We cannot accept empty gestures. Beyond your own personal self-education of anti-racism, which we are assured is well underway, we would ask that you commit to the following measures as a signal of your intent to create anti-racist workplaces, equal for all your performers.

Hire and retain: Once offstage, the inclusivity of all departments drops immensely. Respect Black lives and careers the same way you do Black music and culture. You will commit to seeking out diverse teams across all departments, truly representative of the Britain we live in today. These figures will be reported back annually to BECTU and Equity representatives.
Hair and wigs: Black performers often feel unsupported in the hair department, creating unnecessary tension due to lack of training. By Summer 2021 you will ensure that wig heads of department and their deputies are trained in afro Hair.
Make-up and costume: There are several companies that provide appropriate skin tone make-up, underwear and physio strapping. When providing these for cast members, the appropriate provision will be made.
Reviews: As a cultural ecosystem, we are defined by our audiences. If we want to be truly inclusive, we will make space on press nights for a broader scope of publications to allow our work to be seen and critiqued by a diverse and equally important audience.
Outreach: The next generation of theatremakers are currently in our education system. We must ensure that they have access to our world-class theatre so that they may stand alongside us in a few years time. They must not be dissuaded or denied access because of the colour of their skin or their parents’ financial situation. So, we call on all of us, subsidised and commercial theatre alike, to identify pupils and young people from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds to partake in educational performances and workshops.

We have an opportunity to stand together as a community. It may not be easy, but it is right.

Will you join us?

The full list of signatories can be viewed here