October marks Black History Month. Curve has announced a programme of performances, events and free activities.
Led by Black artists, the programme celebrates the Black communities of Leicester and Leicestershire. There are entertainment and cultural experiences for all available.
Kicking off Black History Month on Sat 1 October will be Othello. Co-produced by Frantic Assembly and Curve, enjoy this “bold and striking take” (⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐, West End Best Friend) of Shakespeare’s classic. This will be the final performance before it embarks on an Autumn tour around the country.
On Saturday 8 October the theatre will host a Black History Month Community Day. Enjoy free events and activities taking place across the building from 12 pm – 5 pm. The Community Day will include storytelling sessions for children, spoken word poetry, dance, live music and more led by local Black artists and practitioners. All activities will be free of charge but visitors are encouraged to book certain events.
Sunday 9 October will see a rehearsed reading of Winsome Pinnock’s Leave Taking shared in Curve’s RR2 as part of Celebrating Plays of Excellence. Following public nominations to find the most important pieces written by Black playwrights, Leave Taking was selected by a panel including Leicester multidisciplinary artist Carol Leeming, incoming Chair of Curve’s Board of Trustees Sita McIntosh and Director Ameera Conrad. A callout for local actors will be announced on Curve’s website in due course – for more information email [email protected].
A Final Act of Friendship comes to Curve on Tuesday 11 October. Inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter movement in 2020, Stephen Hayward’s play explores difficult conversations around race and privilege, as well as the importance of sticking up and showing up for your friend at all costs.
From Monday 17 to Tuesday 18 October, Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed Black is the Color of my Voice comes to Curve. It follows sell-out runs in the West End, Shanghai and New York. Inspired by the life of Nina Simone, Black is the Color of my Voice follows Simone’s journey from a young piano prodigy to singer and civil rights activist, featuring live performances of iconic songs.
As part of the Black History Month programme at the theatre, Curve will also present free Foyer performances from local Black artists and musicians across the run of hit musical Sister Act, which comes to Curve Monday 17 to Saturday 29 October.
We have a fantastic interview with Sister Act’s Sandra Marvin for you to read!
Beyond Leicester, audiences across the country can experience Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome‘s award-winning and critically acclaimed co-production The Color Purple, as it continues its first ever tour across England and Wales. Thanks to the support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Funding the tour visits six new cities between Tuesday 13 September and Saturday 5 November.
Curve is working in partnership with Serendipity on this year’s Black History Month programme.