7 touring theatre productions, 8 consortium venues and many partners later and Black Theatre Live (BTL) will be coming to the end of its’ first phase in 2018; a 3-year programme of national touring, structural support and audience development.

Cathy Tyson talks about her inspiring experience of touring She Called Me Mother with Black Theatre Live and the company she co-founded with Michelle Inniss and Cara Nolan, Pitchlake Productions.

Legendary actor Jeffery Kissoon talks to us about Shakespeare and directing Britain's first all-black cast of Hamlet for the Black Theatre Live consortium..

Butterflies from Open Clasp Theatre Company, Cartina McHugh artistic director.

Filmed in partnership between the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds and YMCA Suffolk.

Firstly, I’ll introduce myself, I’m Emma and I recently started as Marketing Manager for Tara Arts. Previously to this I was Marketing Manager for the rather lovely Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, one of the 8 consortium venues for Black Theatre Live.   

I received an email from Cathy Tyson in December 2014 saying, what do you think of this? The email was an application of interest to Black Theatre Live. She was surprised when I said, yes, let’s go for it! Well, why not? What did we have to lose? 

Cathy Tyson is a BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated actress with over three decades of experience in the creative industries. She is known for her roles in film television and theatre. She began her career at the Liverpool Everyman at the age of 17 before joining the RSC in 1984. She is best known for her role in Mona Lisa (1986) alongside Bob Hoskins.  Cathy will be playing the protagonist Evangeline in She Called Me Mother on national tour, Oct - Nov 2015