The first launch event for a new book, Being Black and British: Before, During and After Drama School, is taking place at Leeds Conservatoire in the evening of Wednesday 1 October.
Dermot Daly
Edited by award-winning actor, director and filmmaker Dermot Daly, the book is written by Black writers working in and around the British performative industries. It offers practical and theoretical tools to take into the classroom, studio, rehearsal room, mind, body and heart, focalised unapologetically through being Black in Britain.
Structured across three acts, the book covers themes present on the road to drama school such as youth theatre, the texts studied and early experiences in theatre spaces; drama school training with practical suggestions to encourage and embolden Black actors; and the world of the profession, ensuring that mental health, making work and a sense of what can be offered by Black actors is made clear.
Dermot, who is also a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Conservatoire, said, “This book is about bringing a spotlight onto what Black British actors and performers feel, need, want and deserve; it’s the first book of its kind to shine that particular spotlight. Every single chapter contributor is a hero and, in their words, offer knowledge and hope that I hope will spread beyond its pages. This first launch is an acknowledgement of Black creativity in the city and sitting, as it does, in the conservatoire’s 60th year, opens a new chapter in its history.”
Starting at 6:00PM in the institution’s Rooftop Bar, attendees can expect to hear Dermot discussing the book with panellists including Vice Principal Patsy Gilbert and Head of School of Drama Erin Carter. Being Black and British: Before, During and After Drama School is a call to action and a challenge to all those who teach, lecture, direct, parent, produce, cast and/or train Black performers in Britain – and those performers themselves, to listen more, ask more, feel more and be more.
The evening is intended to be both informative and interactive, with a Q&A session and musical performances also part of the proceedings. Free of charge or £2.50 ticket options are available.
