AT TOLD BY AN IDIOT, BLACK CULTURE HAS HAD, AND CONTINUES TO HAVE, AN ENORMOUS INFLUENCE ON OUR WORK. FROM THE MUSIC OF MILES DAVIS, TO THE EXTRAORDINARY BLACK PERFORMERS WE HAVE WORKED WITH OVER THE YEARS. FROM COLLABORATING WITH ACCLAIMED NIGERIAN PLAYWRIGHT BIYI BANDELE, TO LEARNING FROM THE DANCERS OF ZOONATION: THE KATE PRINCE COMPANY.

HOWEVER, LIKE ANY ORGANISATION, WE CAN LISTEN MORE, LEARN MORE AND ABOVE ALL, DO MORE TO AFFECT CHANGE. WE COMMIT TO PLAYING OUR PART IN CHALLENGING THE POWER BASE OF BRITISH THEATRE, AND OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS WE WILL:

• INCREASE BLACK REPRESENTATION ACROSS OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND APPOINT TWO NEW BLACK TRUSTEES
• CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT BLACK LIVES ARE REFLECTED ON STAGE AND IN OUR SHOWS, IN STAGE MANAGEMENT, CHOREOGRAPHY, MUSIC AND DESIGN. WE HAVE ALWAYS PURSUED AND OPEN AND INCLUSIVE AUDITION / INTERVIEW PROCESS AND WE WILL COMMIT TO INCREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF BLACK FREELANCE STAFF THAT WE EMPLOY.
• GUARANTEE THAT ONE OF OUR THREE NEW SHOWS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS WILL BE LED AND DIRECTED BY A BLACK ARTIST.

THESE MAY SEEM SMALL THINGS, BUT WE HAVE BEEN REFLECTING ON OUR POSITION IN THE BRITISH THEATRE ECOLOGY AND REALISE IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE PART OF MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN AND BEING CLEAR ABOUT HOW WE WILL DO THIS. WE ARE DETERMINED TO PURSUE THESE COMMITMENTS WITH RIGOUR AND CONTINUE TO EXPLORE ALL POSSIBILITIES IN ENSURING WE KEEP PUSHING FORWARDS.

WE COMMIT TO THIS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT WILL MAKE OUR WORK BETTER.

AS SPIKE LEE ONCE SAID:

‘YOU CAN DO NOTHING

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING

OR YOU CAN…

DO THE RIGHT THING’