Black History Month at the Bush Theatre
Harriet Clifford
Monday, October 5, 2020
The Bush Theatre presents a mixture of online and in-person activities to celebrate Black History Month 2020 (October). Continuing the theatre’s commitment to broadening the population of theatre-makers, three events will be held over the course of the month.
Advice to my Younger Self, featuring Paapa Essiedu, Matilda Ibini, Stella Kanu and Jamael Westman, follows the series of films of the same name released for Women’s History Month in March. In the films, four arts industry leaders share the advice that they would give to their younger selves and other creatives. One video will be released each Thursday (starting on 1 October) via the Bush Theatre’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts. The first film with Paapa Essiedu can be viewed here.
On 13 October, an interview with Julie Spencer, director of Acting at Arts Ed, will be released. As the first Black woman to take up a senior role in a conservatoire in the UK, Julie speaks about the recent restructuring of elements of the curriculum and the workforce, as well as the impact she has made on the student intake.
In collaboration with the Queer House, the Bush Theatre presents a Q&A with Mika Onyx Johnson on 21 October at 7:30pm. Tickets for the live event at the Bush are £8, while online tickets at £5. Writer, actor, and performance artist Mika Onyx Johnson will discuss their debut show Pink Lemonade, expanding on how it explores identity and self-discovery through original music, poetry and storytelling.
The theatre is also running ‘Write the Bush’s Future’ campaign until March, with 50% of the target currently achieved. This gives people the opportunity to join the Bush Supporter community from £60 and the money raised goes towards the continuation of projects such as their Black History Month celebration. Details can be found here.