Black Theatre (Sydney)

The National Black Theatre was a theatre company run by a small group of Aboriginal people based in the Sydney suburb of Redfern and which operated from 1972 to 1977. The original concept for the theatre grew out of political struggles, especially the land rights demonstrations which at the time were being organised by the Black Moratorium Committee. The centre held workshops in modern dancing, tribal dancing, writing for theatre, karate and photography, and provided a venue for new Aboriginal drama. It also ran drama classes under Brian Syron who conducted the first of a planned series of six-week full-time workshops for his students who included Jack Davis, Freddie Reynolds, Maureen Watson, Lillian Crombie, and Hyllus Maris. These people went on to become known in the Aboriginal community for their work in the Australian theatre and film industries.

Street theatre was organised by the Aboriginal community in Redfern by 1972 as a form of political action. Its value in publicising issues was used to support many protests and rallies in the early 1970s. Informal and formal theatrical performances were staged to raise awareness about the Aboriginal tent embassy, land rights demonstrations, and to support the establishment of a legal service.

Workshops

After working in the United States as a director and actor, Brian Syron returned to Sydney and held acting classes in 1969 for Indigenous actors including Gary Foley and Denis Walker at the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs.

Paul Coe, a law student, approached Jenny van de Steenhaven, also known as Sheehan, a non-Aboriginal drama student to run classes for young people in 1971. They were given a grant of $870 to continue the workshops and play readings in February 1972.

An art workshop was involved in the printing of posters (including those for the N'ingla a-na rallies) and in ceramics, sculpture, carving, etc. The documentary N'ingla a-na (1972) directed by Alessandro Cavadini and Carolyn Strachan highlighted the land rights movement and Aboriginal activism including the theatre as examples of the growing movement for self-determination.

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