“Theatres are one of the few buildings left in communities where people can come together whatever their age, ethnicity or class”. A sentiment shared by many within the theatre community and expressed by Architecture Adviser of the Theatres Trust, Claire Appleby. Founded in 1976, the Theatres Trust have worked to ensure ‘that current and future generations have access to good quality theatres where they can be inspired by, and enjoy, live performance. We champion the future of live performance, by protecting and supporting excellent theatre buildings which meet the needs of their communities’. For the past 12 years, the charity have also looked to support theatres they deem to be ‘at risk’ – these theatres featuring on their ‘Theatres at Risk Register’. This year’s list has been announced and Claire discusses what it takes to supporting and protect these valuable buildings.

Inspired by the Japanese Goze; female musicians who would travel around medieval Japan to tell their stories to make a living, both Yellow Earth and Extant Theatre have teamed up to create a multi-disciplinary piece exploring what it means to navigate a world being a visually impaired performer. Flight Paths will witness two female performers take centre-stage as they perform a mixture of verbatim interviews and aerial sequences choreographed by Upswing’s Vicki Amedume. Ahead of their first few shows at the Harlow Playhouse Theatre and Stratford Circus, both Artistic Directors Kumiko Mendl and Maria Oshodi spoke to us about the creation of the show.

A narrative focusing on the day to day interactions of a young protagonist, Arinzé Kene and tiata fahodzi’s production of good dog highlights a voice often ignored within the wider world. In light of stereotypical and harmful narratives constantly portrayed within the media, this immediate production brings to the fore the realities of a young black male, brought up in multicultural London yet faced with everyday injustices. Making its debut in 2017, critically acclaimed good dog returns for a national tour. Ahead of the first show at Watford Palace Theatre, actor Kwaku Mills talks to us about taking on the ‘distinctively lyrical’ monologue, the show’s topical themes and what audiences can expect from the show.

An award introduced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, The London Borough of Culture celebrates the city’s rich arts heritage, a quality of the capital revered globally. Often when naming arts organisations within London, it’s easy to think of the obvious iconic institutions synonymous with the city. What’s great about this initiative is that it highlights the capital’s nuances, drawing on various communities and how they shape their boroughs to curate activities and events unique to them. A total of 22 London Boroughs submitted applications in 2017 to be considered and in February 2018, it was announced that Waltham Forest had become the first recipients of the award. Creative Director of Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture Sam Hunt talks about the communities pivotal contribution to winning the bid, how artists can get involved and apply for funding and how the 2019 legacy will live on!

Four years ago, the European migrant crisis dominated the headlines. Images of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in the hopes of escaping life threatening regimes and a poor quality of life in the hopes of starting anew were stark, shocking and eye opening. The media’s coverage of this period, at points unforgiving, demonised those seeking safety. The infamous Calais Jungle would also dominate headlines; the encampment at its peak, home to over 6,000 migrants seeking refuge. Director of Borderline Theatre Company Sophie NL Besse addresses the personal stories of refugees and asylum seekers in her latest show Welcome to the UK. Ahead of the show, Sophie talks about her time delivering workshops at the Calais Jungle, the multi-cultural ensemble consisting of refugees and performers and the show’s satirical aspect.

Within the past 2 decades, the gradual rise in Islamaphobia has been haunting to witness. Various misconceptions within the press further peddling a feeling of fear amongst nations. These untruths go on to shape voting outcomes and interactions within the wider community, fuelling a stereotype that doesn’t at all ring true. Nabilah Said’s timely show Inside Voices aims to add nuance to perceptions currently held. Placing lives of three Malay Muslim women at the fore, Nabilah and her theatre company Lazy Natives offer an insight into an aspect of Southeast Asian culture perhaps not focused on within the UK. Ahead of the show, Nabilah talks about making her professional debut at the Vault Festival, exploring topics of race and religion and featuring in Nick Hern Books’ Plays from Vault 4 Anthology.

The topic of fertility affects all, yet it’s a topic that we only now find ourselves starting to openly discuss. Everyone has their own personal stories and journeys, a multitude of experiences still yet to explore and learn from. Inspired to curate a festival addressing this often taboo subject, co-founders of Fertility Festival 2019 Jessica Hepburn and Gabby Vautier talk about this year’s emphasis on discussing the modern family, what audiences can expect from this year’s line up and how societal conversations have shifted towards raising awareness on the multi-faceted topic.