Leicester’s Curve is to host a national conference called Forty Years On: The Arts Britain Ignores and Diversity in British Theatre.
The conference is being devised by Curve in partnership with BAME-led organisations Serendipity Arts and Inspirate. Naseem Khan will give an opening address on the 40th anniversary of her “ground-breaking” report The Arts Britain Ignores. Khan will look at the impact of the report. Keynote speakers will examine how far UK theatre has progressed since then.
Panel sessions will focus on commissioning, training and leadership. Those leading the sessions include playwright Roy Williams, theatre and television casting director David Grindrod, actress Cathy Tyson who will perform in Curve’s production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and Royal Court artistic director Vicky Featherstone.
Curve chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said in a joint statement, “commissioning, producing and programming work which truly reflects our diverse communities is at the heart of everything we do at Curve.
“We’re proud that our commitment to the promotion of diversity is continuing with this conference which brings together an important group of writers, practitioners and leaders. We hope the conference will play a role in unlocking new ways of introducing and encouraging new audiences and artists into discovering theatre.”
Forty Years On: The Arts Britain Ignores and Diversity in British Theatre will be held at Curve on Friday 14 October from 9:30AM. Further information is available at the Curve web site.