Act for Action report 2024
The Act for Action Report is a comprehensive investigation into the challenges and inequalities faced by Black professionals within the British theatre industry. Read the report: https://blackbritishtheatreawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BBTA-Act-For-Action-2024-Report-by-Irvine-Partners_Approved.pdf
The Act for Action Report investigates systemic challenges faced by Black professionals in British theatre, revealing disparities in representation, support, and financial security. For example, 74.6% of respondents felt unequal opportunities hinder their careers on stage, while 75.2% noted similar challenges off stage, highlighting pervasive imbalance and restricted access to leadership roles. Many Black professionals reported tokenism, with one respondent sharing, “I was in a West End musical as a child… did my own hair for the show every night because the hair department didn’t know how to style it.” Financial instability is a significant issue, with 78.1% needing secondary jobs due to insufficient income from theatre alone, leading to anxieties about long-term financial security. Moreover, the report uncovers mental health impacts from experiences of tokenism and bias, with 50% of respondents affected, emphasizing the need for systemic reform to create a more equitable theatre environment.