Curated by Associate Director Phillippe Cato, Theatre Peckham, South London’s flagship cultural venue and pioneering learning theatre hosts its 4th edition of Young, Gifted & Black.
Established by CEO/Artistic Director Suzann McLean in 2019, this annual season of work unapologetically celebrates people from the African diaspora through a variety of artforms.
Full listings for Young, Gifted & Black can be found here.
Young, Gifted & Black is returning for its 4th edition, what can you tell us about this season?
With this year’s season, Theatre Peckham is supporting eight brilliant artists to present a production with a run in the main theatre. Artists are presenting new pieces of work that have been in development as well as shows returning from our inaugural Peckham Fringe Festival in May, and some new shows that will have a new life at Theatre Peckham. Themes include Afrofuturism, self-discovery, love, womanhood – there’s a lot packed into these shows, you’ll have to watch to find out more!
How do you go about curating such a season, and what have you found most challenging?
Curating the season was super exciting. My goal was to ensure that we were both supporting artists that Theatre Peckham had existing relationships through previous programming and our Young Peckham development programmes, as well as building new relationships with artists that we want to develop and champion.
So, I had the lovely opportunity to speak to lots of wonderful people about the season, their artistic ideas, where they are at in their careers and what aspirations they have for themselves and their work, and ultimately how Theatre Peckham could support or contribute towards them achieving some of these things. Then there was the great task of putting together a nuanced programme that highlights and explores the varied experiences of Black people to create a mixed offer for audiences.
Honestly, the most challenging thing was the admin around everyone’s availabilities for when they could perform.
Why is Theatre Peckham the ideal venue for Young, Gifted & Black?
The Young, Gifted & Black season really speaks our mission and values as an organisation, and who we programme for – young people and underrepresented voices. With one our core values being representation.
How do you go about making sure the season is accessible?
Making sure the season is accessible really starts with the programming – what stories are being told, by whom and who are they for – these are the things we consider in all of our programming. Are we amplifying the voices and stories that best resonate with the people that we want to reach – this constant questioning is an important of ensuring accessibility. Then are other more logistical things like how we choose to talk about the season, our language in our comms, the music we play in the foyer before and after (I curate a playlist for this too), the make-up of our team, affordable ticket pricing, and so much more – it’s embedded into how we function as an organisation.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see some of the events playing as part of Young, Gifted & Black?
There’s a lot to see and experience, the artists are incredibly talented, and you really don’t want to miss out. Also, if you’re unsure about something in the programme and it maybe doesn’t seem ‘like it is for you’ or ‘you might not be able to relate’ then I want to encourage to push past that feeling and book that show. There’s definitely something for you in the programme and I actively promote people having a new theatre experiences too.
