The Belgrade Theatre Pod

In the third episode of The Nannys of Today, host Justine Themen sits down with Lorna Phillip, doula and founder of Black Mother's Birth Village.  Warm, honest, and deeply moving, Lorna reframes Black birth as an act of resistance - exploring trust, rights, and what it truly means to mother the Mother. 

In the second episode of The Nannys of Today, host Justine Themen sits down with Charlene Hunter MBE, founder of Coding Black Females.  From being impacted by Hidden Figures to building one of the UK's most important tech communities and receiving an MBE, Charlene reflects on representation, resilience, and what it truly means to create space for Black women in tech. 

In the first episode of The Nannys of Today, host Justine Themen, co-director of the upcoming stage production of Nanny of the Maroons, sits down with Nova Reid: activist, speaker, and writer.  Together they explore the power of community, the financial and relational cost of activism, and what it truly means to carry the legacy of Queen Nanny of the Maroons into the present day. 

Some women don't just survive the world, they rewrite it. The Nannys of Today is a visual podcast celebrating the Black women who write, build, and nurture the world into something freer. Inspired by the legacy of Nanny of the Maroons - a warrior, a leader, a liberator - this series honours that continued spirit of resistance.   Starting with author and activist Nova Reid, tech founder Charlene Hunter MBE, and doula Lorna Phillip, each episode of this series - hosted by Justine Themen, co-director of Nanny of the Maroons - explores identity, power, healing, and what it truly means (and costs) to embody Black excellence today.  

"I think Romeo and Juliet is the blueprint for any love story we’ve seen in the modern era." – Samuel Gosrani, Tybalt In this episode, our Digital Media Academy host Alya gets to know some of the cast of Romeo and Juliet and finds out more about their characters. A Belgrade Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Hackney Empire co-production. Edited by former Digital Media Academy member Takudzwa Mudiwa.

Say hello to our new host Alya, who is part of our Digital Media Academy! In Alya's first episode, she chats with Amelia Michaels, Assistant Director on our home-produced show Romeo and Juliet. Amelia gives insight into what it's like working on a new production and how she came to be in the industry. Romeo and Juliet runs at the Belgrade from until Sat 8 Mar, and then tours to Bristol Old Vic and Hackney Empire. Expertly edited by former Digital Media Academy member Takudzwa Mudiwa.

This month we sat down with writer Daniel J Carver and director Jay Zorenti-Nakhid to delve into new Belgrade family drama Revealed.  Jay reveals his incredible story of how the piece changed his life, and we explore how the play confronts themes such as racism, masculinity, sexuality, parenting, and love for men in today's society.  Revealed runs at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry from Fri 18 Oct - Sat 2 Nov 2024 Tickets can be booked now at https://buff.ly/3YeBuQa

This month, we're joined by writer Casey Bailey and producer Jade Samuels to discuss our upcoming China Plate co-production, Please Do Not Touch. Please Do Not Touch will be running at the Belgrade from Wed 11 - Sat 21 Sep, do not miss out! 

Belgrade's very own Marketing Assistant Hana is joined by Writer Siana Bangura and Assistant Director Sarah Githugu to dive into brand new in-house production Swim, Aunty, Swim!

Music Produced by Danny Azhar Featuring John Bernard, Anton Noble, Musa, Ndey and Ruvarashe Project Produced by Belgrade Theatre for Thriving Communities

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

As part of our community engagement work alongside our production of The Bone Sparrow, we asked young students to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

With the UK back in national lockdown this month, we've been focusing our attentions on the lessons we learned during the spring and summer, and how we can better look after ourselves and each other now and in the future. Forming part of our Lockdown Lessons series, this podcast with Belgrade Embedded Community Producer Kim Hackleman looks at how we've worked creatively with a range of community groups during this extraordinary year.  Music Pachelbel's Canon in D Major Recorded by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

As part of our ongoing Black Futures programme, we're hosting a virtual exhibition by photographer and Belgrade Audience Development Officer Ayesha Jones. Titled Motherland, the exhibition documents a three-year journey she took to Africa with her mother to rediscover her family's roots. In our latest podcast, she talks about that journey, and offers insights into African family structures and spiritual traditions.  Music Deep by Static Produced by Beatfella Clips used with kind permission from Static Further Reading Twitter thread by Chloe Valdary, founder of The Theory of Enchantment Season of the Witch: Why young women are flocking to the ancient craft Sady Doyle for The Guardian, 24/02/2015 From Baba Yaga to Hermione Granger: Why we're spellbound by 'witcherature' Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett for The Guardian, 12/08/2019

October is traditionally a time for reflecting on Black history, but how does history inform our understanding of the present, and how will current events shape the histories of the future?  With the Belgrade Theatre and Maokwo teaming up to explore these questions in their pioneering Black Futures programme this month, 2021 Co-Artistic Director Corey Campbell takes some time to reflect on the future, both for the Black community and the theatre industry. With thanks to Aimee Powell for the question. Music Always Be Around ft. Elektric by Casey Bailey Produced by SeanApollo for the EP Progression Clips used with kind permission from Casey Bailey Find out more and download tracks via caseybailey.co.uk Further Reading #OscarsSoWhite: Why Black films have to be about MLK and white movies can be about a mop inventor  Marc Bernadin for The Hollywood Reporter, 28/01/2016 Toussaint Louverture biography Via slaveryandremembrance.org  

From 2017-19, over 800 people died sleeping rough in the UK. Many have never been identified. Produced by Roughhouse Theatre, Dougie Blaxland's new audio play Unknown dramatises the true story of one young man's life on the streets of Bath.  Developed in collaboration with seven people with recent experience of homelessness, the play has been developed to support both homeless people and UK theatres affected by the Covid crisis. The play is funded and supported by Arts Council England, The Big Lottery Fund and The Big Issue, and is free to listen to online, but listeners are encouraged to make a donation. Donations of £6 to the Belgrade Theatre will be automatically split with The Big Issue Foundation. If you would like to donate more, please contact [email protected] so we can ensure your donation is split. 

As lockdown stretches on and the Black Lives Matter movement makes headlines around the world, it's been a strange and unsettling sort of summer. In the first episode in a new series of lockdown podcasts, Belgrade Theatre Co-Artistic Directors Balisha Karra and Corey Campbell respond to the some of the big issues of the day, with support from some special guest speakers. 

The current lockdown situation is a challenging one, but it's also an exciting opportunity, and we're using it to take the time to introduce you to our Co-Artistic Directors, who will oversee our programme of home-produced shows in 2021.

As Crongton Knights enters its second week at the Belgrade Theatre, we're wrapping up our podcast series by chatting to Alex Wheatle, author of the award-winning YA novel that inspired the show.

Following a stint in Club 2B over Christmas, local actor Aimee Powell is back at the Belgrade in 2020 to star in the world premiere of Crongton Knights. Ahead of its opening from 8-22 Feb, she told us more about the pains and pleasures of the rehearsal process.

In the second episode of our Crongton Knights series, we chat to Olisa Odele (Chewing Gum, Scarborough), who stars in the show as McKay. Crongton Knights premieres at the Belgrade Theatre from 8-22 Feb.