Siana Bangura and Christina Nicole, in partnership with English Touring Theatre, announce a new podcast series Behind the Curtains, spotlighting Black creatives in the theatre industry. The series, hosted by Siana Bangura and Christina Nicole and co-produced by ETT, Bangura, and Nicole, will feature conversations with Black theatre-makers and creatives about their career experiences and navigating the current creative landscape.
The first episode, released on 22 October 2020, will feature a discussion with Zodwa Nyoni and Corey Bovell focusing on Black British theatre history, as well as being a writer and adapting to working in the context of a pandemic.
Behind the Curtains is a series spotlighting the off-stage, behind the curtains roles that are the backbone of theatre. How are writers, directors, sound designers, producers, production managers, movement directors and voice and dialect coaches weathering the storms of uncertainty? How did they get to where they are now? What’s race got to do with it?
Upcoming episodes will include conversations with Munotida Chinyanga, Hazel Holder, Alison Holder, Natalie Ibu, Madeleine Kludje, Toni Kyeremateng, Alysha Laviniere, Ingrid Mackinnon, and Shelley Maxwell. Episodes will be released fortnightly and are available via iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud and Acast.
Siana Bangura said today, “The idea for this podcast came to me in 2018 but 2020 has provided fruitful soil for conversations like this to flourish. In such uncertain, challenging and emotionally testing times for us all, particularly if you are of a marginalised identity, centring the stories of our lives, told on our terms, is part of the work. Each person featuring in Behind the Curtains is brilliant in their own right and we hope their journeys, lessons, and reflections on the question of ‘What next?’ serve to inspire, encourage and lift the veil – or rather pull the curtain – on the business of making theatre, reminding us that the world still needs artists, creative people, and the people in the background, offstage, who are our much-needed backbone.”
Christina Nicole also said, “Black creatives are our unsung heroes of the arts. From writers to dialect coaches, they are full of passion, talent, and determination to make a change. Behind the Curtains allows these superstar creatives to have the spotlight on them. They can finally shout about their achievements, dreams, and journeys whilst they inspire you to follow your own dreams. I am thrilled to be working with ETT and co-hosting this podcast with the wonderful Siana Bangura and our amazing guests. There will be lots of laughter, flavour, and culture as we discover what is next for the world of Theatre and its amazing Black creatives.”
Richard Twyman, Artistic Director and Sophie Scull, Executive Producer of ETT, added “We are delighted to announce the Behind the Curtains podcast, led by two brilliant creatives, Siana Bangura and Christina Nicole. With pathways into theatre being harder to access than ever, Behind the Curtains shines a much needed spotlight on some of the least visible roles in the theatre industry. Full of essential conversations, brilliant advice and inspiring role models, Behind the Curtains is a compelling new podcast and we’d like to thank Siana and Christina for bringing such a brilliant project to us.”
For further information, please visit https://ett.org.uk/journal/
