Sour Lemons have announced today that we are joining their ‘Big Squeeze’ programme. Alongside the Royal Court Theatre, we are proud to be collaborating with Sour Lemons on a two-year strategic partnership to identify and dismantle systemic racism within our organisation. You can read more about our commitment and plans here.
Speaking about the partnerships, CEO and Founder of Sour Lemons Sade Banks said:
“The commitment the Young Vic and Royal Court Theatre have made and continue to make, not just to the partnership but in creating a culture that is accountable and hostile to racism, sends a strong message to the rest of the industry. This work has been happening behind the scenes for the past year and Sour Lemons are excited now to announce it publicly. Our mission is to make the truth irresistible - if it becomes impossible to not be aware of how racism manifests, it’s impossible not to do something about it. The Sour Lemons model is unique because it responds directly to the lived experiences of racism within the organisation. By centering the needs of Black and Global Majority colleagues, it forces us to acknowledge that racism is happening over here - not ‘over there in America’ or in another institution - here, in the UK and in our sector. This is the opportunity to do something about it.”
You can read more about the partnership in this Guardian article here.
We are also delighted that Sour Lemons are today announced as one of our new Associate Companies. The work we produce for our stages will always be important, but this collaboration reflects a desire to look at the infrastructure of our theatre anew. By innovating and redefining how we work and who we work with, we can make lasting change to our culture.
