Beloved Theatre Company was created by best friends Latifaha Ireland and Lia Deans in 2019 whilst we completed our Theatre degree.

In our final year, we made history by creating Goldsmiths’ first all-Black theatre company which led to our final piece, a verbatim play about the perception of mental health within the Black community. We were taken aback at the overwhelming response from our audience who deeply resonated with the piece. From this, we uncovered a deep desire to create stories that not only reflected ourselves and our community, but stories that inspire change.

We saw how the challenges we faced as Black women put us and others from marginalised backgrounds at a disadvantage compared to our peers and hindered us from accessing the same opportunities. Through our training, we realised how we can use theatre as a tool to equip others with life skills that can enable them to break the same barriers we faced.

Our goal is to foster change by shining a light on the stories that have been historically forgotten and empowering marginalised groups with the tools necessary for them to access equal opportunities in both their personal and professional lives.