TBB Talks ... My Racist Drama School Experience - Royal Central School of Speech & Drama under fire!

[@dj_bubbs-TXQ]

I can completely relate to all what the students are saying and went through especially hearing from Aurora. I went to RADA myself. The only difference was I studied Technical Theatre & Stage Management. But I felt excluded, isolated and invisible. I was the only person of colour on my course, The rest of the students were all white. I was never defended by any of my students when I was treated unfairly. My students were too afraid to be inclusive with me. If I try and talk to them they acted out of fear as if having a proper conversation was considered not acceptable. Students spoke to me in disrespectful manner. Sometimes students were bullies. Students were competing with each other, to see who is better than everyone, It was only when I left a room they told another student a year above me that I was a nice guy. When I tried to speak out if I was treated unfairly or being bullied, I was told that I am the problem and that it was all in my head. Me going to RADA was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. For me it has been 2 years of upset, distress & trauma which I am still struggling to heal from. To be balanced I learnt a lot at RADA, for example working on shows straight away, learning all areas of technical theatre & stage management, 2nd year you get to choose an area you want to go into. But I was not supported properly with my autism. It was completely new to my staff they acted as if it did not exist to them. The only disability they knew was dyslexia. And due to all of this, I made a decision not to go to my graduation ceremony with the way I was treated and perceived in a ignorant, prejudice & negative way & manner. I hope you guys can change & make differences for the better, I also want to be part of that change as well. Thank you all for sharing your stories.

[@angelabent2069]

Not only on the acting course was their racism at Central School of Speech and Drama but on the Drama Applied Theatre and Education Course there was racism. At Central I was the first Black student to do a dissertation proposal on the Black student experience of British Drama School this proposal was stolen by a white academic staff member who did a research paper on the topic without giving me any credit and my Black dissertation supervisor also stole my idea. I still feel angry about having my idea stolen by Central and I am going to write about my experience legal or not. Well done for this video young people

[@AKAndoh]

Please do!!!

[@gavinmichaels3450]

As actors and theatre folk, we typically think about ourselves as being very liberal, free-loving, open people. Which in some ways makes us more blind to the racist actions we may take. We never seem to suspect ourselves when it comes to making a racist environment. It's very helpful to hear experiences from all of you. I wish you the best of luck in all your careers

[@tamarajaii9415]

Very candid conversation that people in this country love to lie about and hide from, thank you all for your openness and honesty.

[@alteenerryan647]

Omg I can relate! I also went to CSSD and every time I went I felt a burden. 👏🏾thanks for sharing🖤🙏🏾Praying for change.

[@ahmedrayhan7807]

hey I have been a victim of racism in a drama school , can you guys help me find justice

[@chynaedwards2200]

honestly, so so so disappointed considering this is my career path

[@okaminess]

Don’t be discouraged. Hang in there!

[@sharonburton9343]

Hi Thank you for showing this video of former student experiences of racism. It was quite emotional at times. I am the mother of student who is attending Central who is in her first year of study. In her first weeks she has already faced racial micro aggressions mainly from other students. She is struggling with this. I want this experience to be positive for but its far from. How can I help her access the support she needs to get through the next two years..

[@kattroberts8916]

Thank you very much for sharing this and taking the time to openly speak about these painful experiences. You are all very brave. I felt your pain, I was emotional throughout and cried at some of the experiences some of you have had to go through. No one should ever go through that. I auditioned for drama schools, I felt discriminated in at least a few of those auditions being a mixed race woman. I felt pressured to act, speak, and look more 'white' to feel accepted and included. We all need to keep speaking up about this, support one another, hear each other, and be there for each other. We are the ones who can make the changes we want to see xxx

[@historyhen8149]

I think it has been the same in several drama schools, when I was at East 15 there were similar problems. It just breaks the heart to know not a lot has changed at all

[@stamatia1434]

Thank you for sharing this. It's upsetting to see that it wasn't just the drama school I went to that failed.

[@FranciscoGomes-fr5be]

In the beginning I could already sense the disappointment and anger coming from you guys. Very well done on this video !

[@hannahh8814]

This is a really important discussion and I'm very grateful to all of you for your courage and honesty sharing your experiences and thoughts with us. It's made me think about my own drama school experience, which had so many of the same horrendous problems and how I can better support and defend my friends.

[@dianayekinni9310]

This is heartbreaking, but so real!

[@topherasentehene9445]

The one thing I take from this is that if you are the future, its going to be a very exiting future as you go about re-making the world. Thank you so much for sharing and teaching. This from a Black artist who has taught / directed at Central, Mountview and E15 and who has been out there doing work for decades. Keep going. You will make a massive difference through your work and life. Take good care of yourselves Peace and Love Topher Campbell

[@sonscat]

compelling viewing. wishing success and support to all in this video, the systemic changes that were called for in this video need to happen

[@RunningRugby4]

horrifying. drama school should be a place where you feel safe to openly express yourself. this is all unimaginable for me as a white man. my own actor muso class at MV has NO people of colour

[@jennicook9094]

As a CSSD Alumni from DE97 I am so saddened, and angered, by this. There seems to be such a disparity between what was going on within the acting course compared to our Education course. Not only was our cohort diverse but many aspects of our curriculum encouraged the exploration of race, culture and identity. I am horrified to hear these stories of systemic racism within an institution which is outwardly so well respected. It is so sad that your training was so tainted when it should have been such an exciting and enriching experience.

[@warriornix4364]

My brown actor friends and I were talking about this too. We went to different drama schools but all faced the same racism. 💯 stand by you as a brown sister. Thank you for this ❤️

[@denisepitter]

I graduated many years ago and can identify with what you have said. Yes to positive changes.

[@MyaChristie]

Royal central school of screech and trauma

[@BridgetteAmofah]

Wow. These were my fears about drama school to be honest. I am so sorry that you all had to deal with this. It’s absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. Thank you for being so brave and vulnerable. Xx

[@dorotheekarekezi]

Thank you @The British Blacklist, thank you so much. You have no idea how your courage to speak out will help a new generation of actors and actresses like me. To be better, to ask better.

[@Leshaun2002]

I plan on actually going there too. Yikes...

[@SamWirde]

That is such appalling behavior from people who are supposed to teach you something be it acting or any other profession. I don't know how I would react if something like this were ever to happen to a fellow classmate but I hope that I would speak up.

[@chynaedwards2200]

teared up watching this

[@HayItsRosie]

Thank you for speaking out

[@fatoumata3136]

Same problem or even worse in most of French drama schools

[@MozzieMutant]

Drama School? More like Trauma School.

[@londonladyuk5603]

Wow 😮 I always wanted to go to drama school. It was my dream but my mum discouraged me from going there.

[@DAISYHiGMAN]

Thank you for sharing this. I really hope you get the changes you deserve, and reparations for what you went through.

[@princec663]

Disgusting. Being told you will be a salve. Horrific

[@LeeSchwarz]

This is heartbreaking. I’m so sorry you all had to experience this. Here I am wanting to become an actress and look up to these institutions. Where can I then study acting with an institution in UK that’s not racially biased? 😔

[@alisonrayma5186]

I think the pandemic and disappointingly George Floyd public executions at the hands M police has caused the public to realised how much we need each other and to become aware of the injustices.

[@thisisemamate]

I'm so sorry to hear you have had to experience with this - and makes me glad I didn't end up going to Central for University if they can treat students like this. Osaro Otobo has created a petition about making it a legal requirement for organisations to have a discrimination policy, based on her experience of systematic racism at University. You can read her experience at University here: twitter.com/OsaroHazel/status/1269670078943019008?s=20 The petition can be found here: www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-make-it-a-legal-requirement-for-organisations-to-have-a-discrimination-policy?use_react=false

[@LeeSchwarz]

What institution did you go to Emma? Any recommendations for a beginner, no experience in acting so far?

[@AKAndoh]

Thank You. It has informed me and the greater context in which it is incumbent upon us to continuously agitate. Anglo-Saxon-Impunity in unbroken succession extracts a very heavy price & burden from the progeny of their sources of wealth creation. When their currency is ignorance, feigned or ​un​witting, in an age of implausible deniability of generational crimes committed against 1/5 of humanity and beyond, Reconstruction is not optional. Despite their proposed, juxtapositional Anglo-Saxon innocence. The​ir​ transnational business model founded on theft and deception,​ ​fueled by fossil extractions and based on looted gold while crowned in bloodied diamonds has run its inevitable course of consequence, of extinction, of irrelevance. As We hold spaces for parity to breathe with lucidity, Diversity emerges as the multiplicity expressing the complex whole, generating Change that is as inevitable as it is Evolutionary in nature. Reconstruction follows emergence. The Evolutionary paradigm is the fertile frontier, the Light of once imagined future structures​, it is​ of Egalitarian Roundtables co-creating the future we All deserve. I look forward to encountering your wealth, bestowed in the tangible present and onto generations. Your life as art, embodying a more beautiful ​reflection​, sculpting visions, as fluid as water replenishes and nourishes life. These are the important moments in the arc of time and justice, the torch illuminating the generational changing of the guards, away from the darkness of deception into dimensionalities which have the capacity to sustain peace & prosperity beyond binary consciousness. Circularity rather than linearity. Inclusivity rather than extinction. Cooperation rather than competition. Their ideas were bullshit as it was. We are past the theoretical, beyond potentialities. These moments are of a consciousness embracing a maturity of knowing our Greater nature, of encompassing the fullness and fruition of our Higher, and better Selves.

[@tahsina.c]

A year on, has anything changed?

[@lydiak2963]

for me personally no.

[@BridgetteAmofah]

i cant lie I'm VEXED

[@yvvetteellisonellis1252]

This is not good at all, very emotional listening to this -- disappointing where do black people stand with these institutions- I am sadden by Central School of Speech and Drama, and they need to investigate all your concerns. Keep pushing through, and I wish you all success.

[@Inadace]

This is unbelievable. Here in Israel I don't know about racism, but our drama schools are damaging students' emotional and physical health. That is why as an actress dealing with trauma I've decised not to go. But anyway, this is just bad. I'm so furious I don't know what to say.

[@veganheathen7981]

Disgusted, enraged and devastated for you lot. Well done for speaking out and thank you for the invaluable insight shared here. As a white person seeking a drama school education, this was a sorely needed wake up call. So sorry your experiences were marred by the institutional poison that runs in our system. To say I'm disappointed is a grave understatement.

[@anique488]

Literally was about to apply for RADA. Well I guess not anymore 😔.

[@corpseapocalypse9753]

To be fair the schools may have changed slightly or quite a bit towards how they deal with racism by teachers, students and offering more support to it's students and staff over the past 5 years. (Not that I'm justifying anything they have done I do not condone racism.)

[@sondradupree8709]

These kids are paranoid . English TV and film has a huge number of successful Afro actors .

[@moonbaby222]

interesting response