Sheffield-based Eclipse Theatre, one of the five organisations to receive support from the National Lottery funded Sustained Theatre programme, has announced the six Enablers appointed to work on its programme, Slate.
The six black arts professionals will help more than 1,200 emerging and established black and minority ethnic theatre-makers develop their careers and create new work.
The Slate programme also includes workshops, and offers bursaries and commissions.
Dawn Walton, artistic director of Eclipse Theatre said, “the volume of quality applications we received demonstrates how few of these opportunities are offered for black arts professionals. We are delighted with the six Enablers who have the potential to become future black leaders who can really make a change in this industry.
"Individually each one has a wealth of experience and a generosity that fuels their passion to enable others. As a team, they are a powerful hive-mind who, together with Eclipse and the consortium of organisations, will deliver Slate: a bespoke development programme to black artists and theatre-makers in the North.
"To my knowledge, this has never happened before and this is only possible with the support of the ACE Sustained Theatre Fund award.”
The Enablers are:
- Melanie Abrahams – North Yorkshire and the Humber
- Rachel Brogan – North-West
- Season Butler – West Yorkshire
- Cheryl Martin – North-West
- Degna Stone – North East
- Bobby Tiwana – South Yorkshire