Making Our Own Table: African Theatre and Performance in the UK

Join Utopia Theatre’s new symposium-style event, designed to foster an inspiring exchange among local, regional, and international creatives and academics. The event is dedicated to the creation and development of African theatre and the engagement with art from the diaspora in all its forms.

Participants will explore the idea that politics is intrinsically embedded throughout the industry, emphasizing the importance of forums such as Making Our Own Table, and the need for spaces to share and critically engage with themes from the past, present, and future of African theatre.

The day will feature a series of panel discussions, breakout labs, and provocations, hosted by established creatives, academics, and thinkers with roots in the African diaspora. These activities will incorporate African art forms and elements from existing works—such as Crown of Blood and Death and the King's Horseman—to encourage collective thought and provoke discussion around key themes, including structural racism within the arts.

Hosted in Sheffield this event highlights the city as a hub for creative and academic excellence beyond London. Attendees will contribute to shaping a legacy through the development of the Sheffield Statement: a manifesto promoting real action and driving the changes needed in the industry. The symposium invites engagement with the past and present, while creating new opportunities for future generations.