Tara's interim Executive Director, Jonathan Kennedy, has been appointed as the British Council's next Director of Arts, India.

Jonathan leaves Tara on 7th February to take up this exciting new post.

Jonathan Kennedy joined Tara in 2007 as Executive Director. During his decade-long service, he has been part of momentous developments in the company. Starting with the 'Hotbed' repertory season, when 4 young Asian directors produced 4 shows at Tara, he has been vitally important in the company establishing its Tara Theatre firmly on the map as the venue of choice for connecting worlds in a small theatre.

In 2014, he secured support for the ground-breaking Black Theatre Live initiative - bringing together 7 other regional theatres to consistently support BAME touring theatre in partnership with Tara. Over the 3-years of this initiative, 8 mid- and small-scale tours have been produced, reaching over 62,000 diverse audiences... an achievement that is in no small part due to the energy and relentless commitment from Jonathan. 

While this initiative was underway, Jonathan provided critical support to Artistic Director Jatinder Verma and Associate Director Claudia Mayer in the stunning renovation of Tara's building, which was unveiled to the public in September 2016. 

Resigning in 2017 to concentrate on a freelance career, during which time he continued to work on the Black Theatre Live initiative, Jonathan returned to Tara in 2018 (we couldn't keep him away!) as interim Executive Director to help the company prepare for a new Executive Producer (to be announced imminently). 

During Jonathan's time at Tara, the company has faced immense challenges - not least in funding. His fierce championing of Tara and BAME theatre more widely, has ensured that the company's vision of connecting the worlds of West and East burns as bright as ever.

With his appointment as Director Arts, India, the British Council has gained a passionate champion of diversity and an infectious lover of theatre to take forward the Council's own mission to bring the artistic worlds of India and Britain closer.  

We are delighted that another Patron of Tara, musician Nitin Sawhney, has been made it into the New Year's Honours List - congratulations to Nitin Sawhney CBE!

Tara Arts is delighted to announce a new Award made possible through a generous donation.

Join us to see backstage at the beautiful and award-winning theatre in Wandsworth and discover the ideas behind its unqiue fusion of East and West architecture at Tara Theatre and 22 and 23 September beteen 10.30 and 3.30pm.

Open House London is the world’s largest architecture festival, giving free public access to 800+ buildings, walks, talks and tours over one weekend in September each year.

London, 3 September, 2018: Tara Theatre in London, has dedicated a three week run of “Eastern Star”, a play about freedom of expression in Myanmar to the two Reuters journalists given seven year sentences today in Yangon, U Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. Announcing the dedication, Jatinder Verma, Artistic Director of Tara Arts said “When we planned this run, we had no idea that Eastern Star would become so painfully current. The sentences handed down to these two men are truly shocking even by the standards of justice we have come to expect in Myanmar today. We urge for them to be released immediately.”

Based on The Panchatantra - India’s Aesop’s Fables, we are delighted to announce Tara Arts co-production and tour of Three Sat Under the Banyan Tree from September this year.

Tara Arts took part in the nationwide art project to celebrate the centenary of women's right to vote in Brtain.
 

We are delighted to announce Tara Arts and Black Theatre Live has partnered up with Digital Theatre to enable access to the archive recordings of our previous national tours recorded as live with Pilot Theatre including Tara Arts' Macbeth directed by Jatinder Verma filmed at Stratford Circus Arts Centre in 2015 and the UK's first all-Black production of Hamlet directed by Jeffery Kissoon filmed  at Tara Theatre in 2016

We Are the Lions, Mr Manager! was voted by Guardian Reader Noel Hannon as one of their favourite shows - at Tara Theatre! See what he says:

Tara Theatre, London

A tiny production with a cast of just two. It reminded those of us who were there at the time of the Grunwick dispute and it enthused those who were hearing about this bit of trade union history for the first time. It’s on tour until next April. Highly recommend. Noel Hannon

Tara Arts has teamed up again with Black Theatre Live's BIG FOOT. Filmed by our digital partners Pilot Theatre at the Queen's Hall Arts Centre (Hexham). Wed 18 October 2017 from 7 to 9pm

Tara Theatre has been shortlisted for the LONDON NEW ARCHITECTURE AWARDS & PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS!

In 1976 Naseem Khan's report, The Arts Britain Ignores, was published. Commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain, the report changed the face of Britain's arts landscape forever and was instrumental in shaping arts policy for the future. 

Tara Arts artistic director Jatinder Verma took home the top prize at the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs) on Sunday 21 May, gaining recognition for his four decades long contribution to British theatre.

The award was for his "Outstanding Contribution to the Arts".

Read about multi-award winner Nitin Sawhney's double bill with Tara Arts at the Globe, taking place in August. Together they present an intimate evening of music and memories inspired by the 70th anniversary of Indian independence.

Nitin Sawhney with Tara Arts present at Shakespeare's Globe.

Marking the 70th anniversary of India & Pakistan's independence from Britain, the UK-India Year of Culture was launched by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Monday 27th February.

Jatinder Verma attended the reception along with many other artists. Tara Theatre is marking this anniversary with its unique programme of 70 events over the course of the year, featuring plays, music, dance, talks...and gardens. 

Tara Arts Artistic Director Jatinder Verma was awarded an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours list, for 'Tara Arts and services to diversity in the Arts'.

New report from Andrew Lloyd Webber

Bean Song from our pantomime Bollywood Jack

Awards recognizing Ambreen Razia & Aedas

Black Theatre Live, for which Tara Arts are the lead consortium partner, has been nominated for two awards for its latest tours!

The transformation of the Tara Theatre is complemented by a mini oasis in its courtyard.

A wonderful day was had by all yesterday at the opening of our beautiful and unique Tara Theatre, with speeches from Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of Wandsworth, Councillor Richard Field and Joyce Wilson from Arts Council England.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, officially opens Tara Theatre, a new state of the art home in South London for the acclaimed Tara Arts, the oldest diverse multicultural theatre company in the UK, today, Thursday 1 September 2016.

Join our Welcome Team at the new Tara Theatre!

We need your help in making Tara Theatre the most welcoming theatre in London.

Join our volunteer Welcome Team and take part in Tara - from ushering shows to spreading the word in the local area.

Interested? Of course you are!

Talk to Alex on [email protected]

Call us: 020 8333 4457

www.tara-arts.com

Frustrated by a shortage of touring opportunities for black and Asian theatre, Jatinder Verma and Jonathan Kennedy made it their mission to change the hearts and minds of artistic directors and inspire audiences across the country.

Click here to read our article on Black Theatre Live in Arts Proffesional. 

As part of The Guardian's 'How We Staged Shakespeare' series they asked our Artistic Director, Jatinder Verma, to write about Tara Arts' Troilus & Cressida.

Jatinder discusses the production's reference to the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, and how the delivery of Shakespeare’s words is still bedevilled by conventions.

Read the article here.

On Sunday 22 November at 6.45pm, BBC Radio 3 our Artistic Director, Jatinder Verma, featured in Making an Entrance – Asian Theatre in Britain.

In the programme, Sarfraz Manzoor charts the history of Asian theatre in Britain, a tale which ranges from The Bayaderes, 'Priestesses of Pondicherry' - temple dancers who came to London from India in the 1830s, through to the current generation of actors, directors and writers.

Sarfraz examines how political and social unrest in the 1970s sparked the founding of the first high-profile Asian theatre company in Britain, and looks at how the 21st century has seen an increasingly wide range of work? From controversial plays and new, sometimes radical versions of classic texts to Bollywood-inspired musicals.

Other contributors include Hanif Kureishi, Tanika Gupta, Ayub Khan-Din, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti and Sudha Bhuchar.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN AGAIN!

#BBCOnStage