Leading Black Theatre Company Talawa Retains NPO And Receives Uplift In Funding

Talawa, the UK's leading Black theatre company, is remaining a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). Announced on 4th November 2022, Talawa acknowledges this important funding that allows them to continue and expand their vital work championing Black excellence in UK theatre and beyond.

Arts Council England's 2023-2026 Investment Programme follows the pandemic as the arts sectors begin their recovery and aims to increase accessibility to culture across the country and put a greater focus on diversity in the sector, particularly among lower socio-economic areas in England. Talawa is extremely grateful to receive ACE's funding and be part of maintaining England's word-class cultural sector as it begins to recover after a very difficult few years that have impacted so many.

Talawa's aim is to make theatre more accessible for Black creatives and audiences, bringing Black voices and stories to the stage. Talawa has produced more than 50 award-winning touring productions and over 80 productions in total, including the recent Olivier Award-nominated and Offies winner A Place For We; Black British Theatre Award-nominated Run It Back and BBC Radio 4 series Talawa Stories, in partnership with Feral Inc, which reached 2.2 million listeners nationwide.

Remaining as an NPO, with an increase in funding, allows this remarkable theatre company to continue their mission to champion Black British theatre, to support and nurture talent in artists and communities of African and Caribbean heritage, and to tell inspirational, authentic and passionate stories. Talawa has been supporting Black British artists and bringing theatre to audiences for over 35 years - the company was founded in 1986 by Yvonne Brewster, Carmen Munroe, Inigo Espejel and the late Mona Hammond OBE, in response to the lack of creative opportunities for Black actors, and the marginalization of Black peoples from cultural processes. Talawa Theatre Company is led by Artistic Director Michael Buffong and Executive Director Carolyn ML Forsyth.

Michael Buffong, Artistic Director and CEO of Talawa Theatre Company, comments, With this support from ACE we are hopeful. We will continue our aims to create, inspire and nurture artists and audiences alike in 2023 - 2026. Our upcoming productions and projects are part of this journey and we look forward to announcing our 2023 programme in the near future.

To post a comment, you must register and login.