The award-winning Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Collective is a grassroots theatre incubator that operates as a social movement collective invested in preserving a culture of Black theatre in the city of Birmingham, following the national movement to Decolonize American Theatre. As an extension of the Black Arts Movement; Our goal is to showcase and introduce critical, socio-consensus Black theatrical work to the city of Birmingham with curated programming for student & professional theatre practitioners through an Afro-Centric lens. BBRTC has a commitment to centering Black women, Black QTGNC people, and Black disabled people, Black youth, and Black senior citizens in our work, practices and organizational makeup.
Mission & Strategy
1. Multi-Generational Collaborative Art-Making: A commitment to social connectedness through storytelling - disrupting the traditional structure of theatre organizations that historically are built to gate-keep, marginalize, & deny access to performing arts in BIPOC communities (specifically ones of the African-Diaspora). Collaboration is at the core of our organization's work as artists & movement leaders; specifically through strategic community partnership that cross identies with intersectional lens including queer & trans Black people, Black women, and Black disabled people, the youth, and legacy members (60+). We believe that by working together & bridging together generations of Black theatre-makers, we can achieve greater results and make a bigger impact. We foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone's ideas and contributions are valued. This is also reflected in our Organizational structure which is broken down into a network of "Artistic Partners". Artistic partners include veteran professional theatre makers as well as students “Junior Artistic Partners” (Students/Youth). Breaking down the barriers that exists between "student" & professional to provide intergenerational social change in theatre making.
2. Disrupting the Status Quo & Decolonizing Theatre: Echoing and honoring the land & history of violence against Black people in the City of Birmingham. BBRTC has a revolutionary foundation, activated by a local, regional, & national cry in cultural movement to deconstruct systems of oppression within American Theatre. BBRTC's organizational DNA includes framework & practices from social justice movements as well as national artistic movements. Continuing the work of the Black Arts Movement, springing from the Civil Rights Movement. (Black Arts Movement, BIPOC Demands For American Theatre, We See You Movement)
3. Educating the Next Generation of Black Southern Theatre Makers: BBRTC programs to shift the narrative of Black theatre education in public schools and universities to provide resources, opportunities, and professional experience that is often gate-kept by means of financial capacity, or white supremacy. This includes scholarship opportunities for High School and College/University students. Access to theatre workshops, masterclasses, artistic development resources, and productions to Black youth in Alabama. In addition to our Jr. Artistic Partner student led youth programming.
BBRTC is supported, funded, and sponsored by the following organizations:
