Sustained Theatre

Sustained Theatre is a network and a call to action for all artists to lobby for positive change. This is the first time we, as artists, have had a real opportunity to take centre stage and have a voice in transforming the future of our national theatre. Sustained Theatre is working in a distinctively unique and collaborative fashion with Arts Council England and regional groups – or 'hubs' – of artists. Our cooperative approach is as much about securing the future of culturally diverse British theatre, as it is about lobbying for systematic, institutional change within Arts Council England itself, and the arts industry at large.

Sustained Theatre was born from the 2005 Whose Theatre…? consultation led by Baroness Lola Young, in conjunction with an advisory group of independent artists. This in itself came about as a result of Arts Council England's decision to withdraw funds allocated to Talawa Theatre Company's project to build a dedicated Black arts building.

Sustained Theatre is working to ensure that the recommendations from the 2005 Whose Theatre…? report are met. These strategic action points are designed to provoke critical two-way dialogue; improve archiving; develop leadership; create a network of spaces; and form international connections for artists. An allocation of a minimum of £5m capital funds has been earmarked by Arts Council England to realise the ambitions of the project; this money has not been spent on the process so far, but is to be used to generate further funding to develop a network of five spaces, found by the consultation to be crucial to the future of British theatre.

The website, www.sustainedtheatre.org.uk, is the first (albeit virtual) of these spaces. It is the glue that serves to hold the network, connections and progress of Sustained Theatre together. On here, artists, practitioners and academics can create critical debates or join existing ones to contribute to the way Sustained Theatre takes shape, to honestly reflect and appropriately serve its audience. They can also connect with each other via a highly targeted, professional community network. Artists may also be commissioned to create bespoke content for the website; be interviewed to encourage future theatre-makers; and be able to access to a rich heritage of arts archives in this country.

On the website, Sustained Theatre launched Speaking Truth to Power in July , a specially commissioned paper that took the form of a series of letters between Professor Gus John and Dr Samina Zahir. Rooted in themes of identity, aesthetics and ethnicity, the paper has acted as a catalyst for an informed debate in theatre, arts and higher education. As well as providing a snapshot history of diverse arts in this country, the research for the paper consulted with Black, Asian and minority ethnic artists on the appropriateness of terminology and language used to describe, categorise or pigeonhole non-white artists.

Essentially, Sustained Theatre aims to sustain an environment of progressive thinking and action that will redress the balance and shake up the national arts landscape.

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