Tamasha Reveals Partners Bristol Old Vic, Belgrade Theatre, and Beyond Face For SHIFT Intervention

In 2023, Tamasha announced a commitment to rebalance a Eurocentric approach to dramaturgy across the UK, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The company has now announced Bristol Old Vic, Beyond Face and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry as the first organisations to join as partners as it enters the next stage of strategies - now named SHIFT.   

SHIFT's goal is to make theatre more anti-racist and accessible for Global Majority artists, and to embed long term decolonial systemic change. A call to collective action, SHIFT recognises global perspectives and form as vital to the evolution of British theatre narratives.  

SHIFT aims to create deeper inclusive practices and to decolonise commissioning, programming, dramaturgy, producing and governance, whilst developing audiences for new work. Over the past year, Tamasha has led a process of in-depth discovery and dialogue with theatre-makers across the UK. Now, the partners will collaborate to shape and deliver SHIFT. Recruitment of further partners - organisations demonstrating a commitment to decolonising their own structures and practices - continues. 

SHIFT will directly support Global Majority Theatre-makers through development and support, which will include dramaturgy roundtables, peer exchange opportunities with International Artists, a series of workshops and labs, networking, and research and development, and bursaries. Tamasha's successful TELL DEM podcast series, produced in association with the Roundhouse, will be relaunched this month to discuss and share themes related to SHIFT with the wider industry.   

Pooja Ghai, Artistic Director of Tamasha: “SHIFT is committed to crucial work in our industry – work that needs to take time and have the right support and partners to be effective, long-lasting and genuinely game-changing. We have a sector that produces overwhelmingly through a Eurocentric lens, which in its very essence both disadvantages and demoralises Global Majority artists. This is an opportunity for us to work collectively, to look at our organisational processes and how we cultivate a space where Global Majority artists can do their best work, celebrate the cultural lens and lived experiences they wish to explore and have the right dramaturgical support to do so. We are delighted to announce the first of our partners on this journey – Bristol Old Vic, Beyond Face and Coventry Belgrade are already demonstrably committed to change and willing to do the hard work needed. We look forward to the next steps of SHIFT's journey with them, to welcoming more partners, and to making this change happen.” 

NANCY MEDINA, Artistic Director, Bristol Old Vic: “We are so thrilled to be partnering with Tamasha and colleagues in the South West and across the UK on SHIFT. The principles of SHIFT align so brilliantly with the way we aspire to work at Bristol Old Vic and we would like to be a part of any wave of work that begins to rewire and reframe the conversation around dramaturgical practice through a truly global lens. This is a vital changemaking initiative and the work starts here; we can't wait to get going.” 

Corey Campbell, Creative Director, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry: “The aims of SHIFT align with the work we are currently doing at the Belgrade. Our vision to be a people first theatre where diversity powers storytelling makes SHIFT irresistible. We look forward to partnering with Tamasha and peers across the UK in the interest of mutual learning and to share our practice and journey. Belgrade has a history of producing work that breaks form, so we've done a lot of work on shifting our creative process, allowing for inclusivity and diversity to be more than just words. My focus with SHIFT is in decolonising infrastructure and systems, making truly long term, sustainable change together.”

Alix Harris, Artistic Director and CEO, Beyond Face: “We are really excited to have been asked by Tamasha to be involved in this important and vital project. What SHIFT seeks to do aligns with the values and ethos of Beyond Face's work. As an organization, we are constantly reviewing and exploring ways in which we can continue to reframe the lens through which theatre is made and we are particularly interested in how we support the artists working in South West and their relationship to practices globally.” 

To post a comment, you must register and login.