We sat down for a quick chat with Chino, tiata fahodzi’s Artistic Director and CEO, about the future programmes. Nanny of the Maroons: an exciting new musical play blending spoken
word, music and magical realism, to tell the incredible true story of a legendary 18th
century freedom fighter – Queen Nanny.
Chewing Gum Dreams: Michaela Coel’s unforgettable debut. A fierce, funny, and big
hearted journey through first love, the last days of school, and the moments that shape
who we become.
The 2026–2027 programme feels both ambitious and deeply community-focused.
What emotions come with launching this new chapter for tiata fahodzi?
I think this sums up tiata fahodzi really. We want to keep growing our work,
and the sense of scale in the productions that we do, but we are driven by what we
hear and learn from our community of artists and audiences. For us the really big
emotions are excitement and anticipation as this new programme is about looking
ahead as we approach the company’s 30th anniversary in 2027. It is no small feat
that a company like tiata fahodzi remains as an NPO, and as a company that artists
can call home. We are challenged by bias, structural barriers, the ever increasing
costs of touring, and a funding landscape that becomes a hurdle when you don’t
have 3 people in your fundraising team. And yet the excitement to make ambitious
and nuanced work for theatre remains the same.
What do you think early-career writers and creatives need most from organisations
right now, beyond simply funding or opportunities?
I don’t think we should just talk about early-career writers because in this
moment, it feels that writers at any point in their career need that mosaic of support
that looks like someone wanting a conversation with you about what you are
passionate about, the spaces where you can be honest with peers about what your
experience of the industry is, and spaces that feel that they are supporting your growth as an artists whether in your craft or skills needed to make this a sustainable
How important is joy within the stories you choose to platform, especially during
difficult or uncertain times?
Answer: Joy is hugely important in so many ways for us as a company – it sits in how
we work day to day, and in how we engage with and empower artists to be who they
choose to be. But in more recent times, we have also been reflecting on how we
ensure that artists who have stories to tell that speak to the non-joyous parts of their
experiences feel celebrated too. Remember that song – “ joy and pain, like sunshine
and rain”.
Leading a company with such a clear social and artistic mission must come with both
challenges and rewards. What continues to inspire you in the role?
Answer: My key inspiration continues to be the artists and the audiences – and the
beautiful thing of when they meet and the conversations that spark from that. I was
a freelance artist for over 20 years before taking on this role, and I still believe that
artists hold the key to so much of the healing needed in our society. And if we
understand that every audience member is a keen and important part of our story,
we can start to find meaningful ways to invest back into them. I am also inspired by
form and how we encourage and grow a new generation of writers and creatives
who are playing with form in theatre, and not afraid to push back against any ideas
of what they should be writing about because of their heritage.
What do you hope audiences and artists feel after engaging with this new season of
work?
Answer: I want them to feel hungry for more! Everything we do is about honouring
the Black British canon as well as investing in talent at all stages of their careers
whether as artists or future leaders. I want audiences and artists to keep wanting
and demanding more of that from tiata fahodzi and the whole industry.