BEYOND THE DRUM 190 YEARS OF BLACK THEATRE

Black Theatre development in Britain has a story to tell. The hidden histories of people from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean are just beginning to be revealed.  As well as documenting this theatrical history, Nu century Arts will widen the lens to include the social and economic conditions that influenced how the work of these artists was made but also how their work was received. This will give the story much needed context, rather than looking at these artists or their work in an abstract sense. We will chart the history of race relations, British popular culture, class issues and also breakdown socio-economic milestones through the prism of Black Theatre.

Nu century Arts aim to make a 1-hour documentary film detailing the long and varied history of the Black theatrical heritage that will engage a wide and diverse audience both as participants and viewers. The film will be made with professional film-makers training the participants throughout the process – each interview, each “cutaway” and each “GV” (general view) will be shot by the participants, and guided by the media teachers. The film will contain a range of archive material, which we will glean from our research and partners. Using hitherto unseen footage, a range of interviews from key contemporary Black theatre players such as Kwame Kwei Armah, Don Kinch, Bola Agbaje and Roy Williams, as well as theatre partners, The Drum Arts Centre, Carnival Village, Royal Court, Birmingham Repertory, the Tricycle and Theatre Royal Stratford East. The film will be in high definition and of broadcast quality in order to attract and impress a wide audience of thousands of people across the country, as well as to attract attention from the mainstream press.