Mona Hammond Annual Lecture Series by RADA and Talawa Theatre Company
Presented by RADA and Talawa Theatre Company, this new annual lecture series asks a simple but urgent question:
What must theatre become now and in the future?
Creative Lives in Changing Times: Wellbeing and the Artist
We are honoured to launch the series with David Harewood OBE: internationally acclaimed actor, President of RADA and one of the theatre industry's most thoughtful and influential voices. His lecture Creative Lives in Changing Times: Wellbeing and the Artist draws on his experience as an artist and cultural leader, David will open this new annual conversation by discussing the central role of wellbeing in the success of artists as well as reflecting on the conditions that allow creativity, belonging and excellence to flourish.
The event will be introduced by leaders of both RADA and Talawa theatre Company and followed by a Q&A by consultant, journalist and writer Amanda Parker.
The series is inspired by the life and legacy of Mona Hammond OBE (1931-2022), the acclaimed actor, RADA graduate and co-founder of Talawa Theatre Company. Throughout her career, Mona not only broke new ground on stage and screen, but helped create opportunities for others, expanding who could see themselves represented in British theatre and who could thrive within it.
Starting with what Mona made possible through her life and work, the lecture series invites one leading artist each year to reflect on the role of theatre in shaping society, the responsibilities of our institutions, and the future we are asking the next generation of artists to create.
The series is a living conversation about the future of our art form. Through personal experience, artistic insight and critical reflection, it will explore the challenges, responsibilities and possibilities of making theatre today, while encouraging both individuals and institutions to imagine a more courageous, inclusive and ambitious future.
Hosted at RADA and presented in partnership with Talawa Theatre Company, the lecture is intended not only as a public event, but as an opportunity for students, artists, audiences and cultural leaders to come together and consider the future of theatre and the role we all play in shaping it.
Where to find us
Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Malet Street
WC1E 7JN
+44 (0)20 7908 4800
Getting here
By tube
Goodge Street Station: Northern Line 2 minute walk
Euston Square: Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, Circle Lines
Tottenham Court Road: Central and Northern Lines
Russell Square: Piccadilly Line
By train
You can easily reach us by public transport links from London's major railway stations. The most accessible include Euston, King's Cross / St. Pancras and Waterloo