Black Joy Day TALAWA: The Mighty Theatre Company

Talawa Theatre Company is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special day at the V&A East Storehouse on Thursday 25 February 2027, from 11.30 to 16.00. It's a deep dive into the company's history, and the whole thing is built around the archive the V&A holds on them.

Talawa is a Black-led company, founded in 1986 by Yvonne Brewster OBE, Dame Carmen Munroe OBE, Mona Hammond OBE and Inigo Espejel. They started it in response to the lack of creative opportunities and the marginalisation of Black actors and performers, and it's been running ever since. This day marks four decades of that work.

What you actually do there is spend the day with the V&A curators and archivists who look after the company's extensive archive. You get up-close access to production items that don't usually see the light of day: documents, posters, photographs and audio-visual recordings. It's a chance to see the paper trail and the recordings that sit behind the performances.

The day is presented in collaboration with the Black Gallery Visitor Network (UK) and takes its title from the poet Toi Derricotte's idea that 'joy is an act of resistance'. If you need a break, there are beverages and light refreshments at the V&A Storehouse E5 Bakehouse Café. Tickets are £25 and booking is essential. The event runs from 11.30 to 16.00 at the V&A East Storehouse, Parkes Street, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick, London, E20 3AX, in Foyle Creative Studios GO3 & GO4.