The three-year lecture series has been launched during Talawa’s 40th anniversary year and RADA’s 120th anniversary, honouring the legacy of pioneering actor, Talawa co-founder and RADA graduate Mona Hammond OBE. Hammond was instrumental in transforming opportunities for Black artists on British stages, and the series aims to carry her legacy forward by addressing contemporary issues affecting the theatre industry.

Drawing on his own experiences of navigating an industry and institutions that were not always built for him, David Harewood will examine wellbeing, race, mental health and the personal cost of an artistic career. He will consider what theatre demands from its artists — and, crucially, what the industry owes them in return. The event builds on earlier conversations involving artists and industry leaders around financial insecurity, mental health, representation and inclusion.

The lecture will take place at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7JN, on Wednesday 2 September at 5.30pm. Talawa and RADA describe the event as a chance to transform Mona Hammond’s remarkable legacy into action and to challenge the theatre industry to consider the kind of future it wants to build