Words of Colour - The Immersive Change Agency

Our friend, ally and collaborator, award-winning civil rights lawyer Marcia Willis Stewart KC (Hon) has recently been appointed as a trustee of @tom_warriors , to support equity, justice and opportunity within the music and creative industries - which is sorely needed. Image - Left to right: Camilla George (artist, TW Trustee) Marcia Willis Stewart (TW Trustee) Janine Irons OBE (TW Co-founder & CEO) Tove Okunniwa (TW Chair) Tomorrow’s Warriors has shaped UK jazz for the past 35 years and is looking to work with Marcia to strengthen the charity's focus on women in leadership and its deep commitment to equity of opportunity for future generations of talent - particularly Black and female musicians and those from underrepresented communities. Excited to see the developments. #music #jazz #women #musicians #equality

Theatre Peckham and Words of Colour announce the launch of Alex Wheatle Day on Monday 4th May 2026 at Peckham Fringe to celebrate the literary legacy of the multi-award-winning author who died on 16th March 2025. The inaugural Alex Wheatle Day, which will be an annual event, includes a staged adaptation of Alex’s YA novella WITNESS (Serpent’s Tail, 2022) written by Theatre Peckham’s CEO Suzann McLean and writer David Fielding. Commissioned by Alex before he passed away, the play explores courage, loyalty and the price of telling the truth against a backdrop of knife crime. Part of the 40 years of Theatre Peckham celebrations. #AlexWheatle #TheatrePeckham #WordsOfColour #TP40

@theatrepeckham and Words of Colour announce the launch of Alex Wheatle Day on Monday 4th May 2026 (5pm-8.30pm) @thepeckhamfringe to celebrate the literary legacy of the multi-award-winning author who died on 16th March 2025. (Ticket information in our bio.) The inaugural Alex Wheatle Day, which will be an annual event, includes a staged adaptation of @alexwheatle 's YA novella WITNESS written by Theatre Peckham’s @suzann.mclean  and writer David Fielding.  Commissioned by Alex before he passed away, the play explores courage, loyalty and the price of telling the truth against a backdrop of knife crime. There'll be a post-show panel featuring award-winning writer and poet @derekvsowusu , actors @sheyicxle (who played Alex) and @elliotedusah (who played Alex’s best friend Valin) in Small Axe, Steve McQueen’s anthology film series, and @1yarei , film and TV industry executive. Alex Wheatle, aka the ‘Brixton Bard’, wrote 21 books, including a novella, and won the London Arts Board Writers Prize 2000 for Brixton Rock, the Guardian’s Children’s Fiction Award in 2016 and the Renaissance Quiz Writers’ Choice Award for Crongton Knights. The BBC’s adaptation of Crongton, written by @archiemaddocks  and directed by @aguadecocogirl , won the RTS Award for Best Children's Programme 2026 and has been nominated for a BAFTA Television Award 2026. Alex Wheatle Day will also host a foyer exhibition on Alex’s legacy, a special reggae, dub, Lovers Rock and grime set by @djhybridj alongside food stalls and raffles for prizes, including Alex’s award-winning Crongton book series donated by @hachettechildrens @croydonfm @lambeth_libraries

@theatrepeckham 's adaptation of @alexwheatle 's novella Witness premieres at Peckham Fringe on Saturday 2nd to Tuesday 5th May 2026. Commissioned and approved by Wheatle before he joined the ancestors, the YA novella has been adapted for the stage by Theatre Peckham’s CEO and Artistic Director @suzann.mclean and David Fielding with Words of Colour as a partner. Originally published by @serpentstail in 2022, Witness centres Cornell who navigates life in a Pupil Referral Unit full of young people marginalised by mainstream schools. When he witnesses a shocking act of violence, his world changes forever leaving him torn between speaking out and risking everything or staying silent to protect those closest to him. Intense, urgent and still timely, Witness explores courage, loyalty and the price of telling the truth. There will be four performances and a special announcement in April 2026 so book your tickets soon (bit.ly/Witness2026). You can also find the link in our bio. We’d like to thank Alex Wheatle's family, and @hachettechildrens for donating copies of Alex's acclaimed Crongton series for the play's run. @booktrust @englishpen_ @_thebookseller @societyofauthors @afridiziaktheatrenews @alt_africa_ @londonwriterscentre @courttia @yvvetteedwards

"It’s ironic that we’re talking about people supporting their mental health and we don’t look after ours. That must stop. We must make more time for our own self-care." Our final Spotlight Interview features theatre producer and mental health innovator Sandra Griffiths. Sandra is a social entrepreneur, mental health innovator, systemic change specialist, and a theatre producer centring mental health lived experience narratives. She is the founder of @redearthconnect which uses the arts to inspire stories, stimulate thinking and create conversations that support and improve the mental health and wellbeing of marginalised and racialised communities. She is also the co-founder of the acclaimed @catalystcic . For over 30 years this social entrepreneur has created innovative and sustainable programmes, campaigns and events centring the mental wellbeing of African and Caribbean communities. Sandra is also a Non-Executive Director at @maternityengagementaction , a community- led organisation that provides safe spaces and peer support for Black Women alongside founder Amanda Smith and Lorna Armstead. Sandra speaks to @msjoyfrancis about the importance of co-production to tackle the enduring ethnic inequalities in mental health care, and the importance of disrupting the strong black woman trope that is “alive and kicking in the mental health space”. Read the full interview at wordsofcolour.co.uk of via our bio. @lankellychase @synergiproject @bsmhft_nhs

Spotlight Interview features Professor Sunny Singh Our third Spotlight Interview is with @profsunnysingh - a writer, novelist, public intellectual, champion for decolonisation and inclusion and Professor of Creative Writing and Inclusion in the Arts at the @londonmetuni . In 2016 she launched the celebrated @jhalakprize for literature by writers of colour and is a founder of the Jhalak Foundation that is focused on a range of literary, artistic and literacy initiatives in the UK and beyond. The Jhalak Prize has blossomed into its own literary universe with the Jhalak Children’s and YA Prize, the Jhalak Poetry Prize and the Jhalak Prose Prize. She is also the founder and director of Jhalak Art Residency that selects three annual artists-in-residence to create unique works of art that serve as trophies for the Jhalak Prize winners and showcase artists of colour in the UK, and the publisher of the bi-annual @jhalakreview . Singh is the author of three critically acclaimed novels – Nani’s Book of Suicides, With Krishna’s Eyes and Hotel Arcadia. Her recent collection of short stories, Refuge: Stories of War and Love, has been praised by the Asian Review of Books for illustrating that “…even in the deepest degradations depicted, author Singh shows that love can endure and renewal is possible”. Singh tells @msjoyfrancis why the Jhalak Prize isn’t meant for the white writer, the importance of challenging the mediocrity of the establishment and her passion for creating tools and literary avenues for our liberation from the Empire. Read the full interview: https://bit.ly/SunnySinghSpotlight or via our bio. #books #literature #jhalakprize #publishing #publishers #bollywood #fiction #nonfiction #awards #India #whitesupremacy #empire @_thebookseller @asianculturevulture @nikeshshuklawriter

We are nearly at the end of a momentous, sometimes terrifying, sometimes joyous, somewhat maddening, soul activating year - from genocide as rolling news, theatres, youth centres and community spaces closing, the passing of a variety of inspirational legends and impressive collective action. We need to rest, restore, reflect, reassure and reassess, ourselves, our actions, our lives, our choices and our country. It's been deep. It's been painful. It's been liberating. And it's been a lesson in living, loving and centring who and what is important, and what we believe in. This may seem like a lot but we are living with and recovering from 'a lot'. Amidst it all, we hope you find the space to be, with yourself, with your loved ones, with your aspirations and inspirations. Until 2026, sending love and our deepest thanks for all that you do, all that you are and for being part of our journey ... x

Award-winning actor, acting teacher, activist, director and now award-nominated playwright @martina_ml_laird is the focus of our second Spotlight Interview, which centres global majority, British-based women making a difference at the intersections, especially in the arts, literature, mental health, activism and community. Widely known for playing the beloved Comfort Jones in the world's longest running primetime medical drama, BBC1's @bbccasualtyofficial , Laird could be described as a cultural custodian who has championed overlooked black women actors and directors in theatre. Laird’s connection with the arts started early with parents who were active supporters of Trinidadian artists and were friends with Nobel Prize winning poet and playwright Sir Derek Walcott. A theatre stalwart, Laird continues to work extensively in TV, including Dreaming Whilst Black, with recent film appearances in The Little Mermaid. On the early days of acting in Britain, Martina shared: "I became quite reticent about exposing too much of myself or being seen as too intellectual or too Caribbean or too political. There was still typecasting. We were still having to represent with characters that were not us and were upholding some kind of stereotype." Laird speaks passionately to @msjoyfrancis about her artistic grounding in Trinidad, navigating racism and misogyny and adding another feather to her creative bow as a playwright, with her debut play Driftwood, premiering at the @thersc in April 2026. Read the full interview in our bio. You can book your tickets to see Driftwood @thersc from 17th April to 30th May 2026: rsc.org.uk/driftwood/

Our new Spotlight Interview series launches with the multi award-winning civil rights lawyer Marcia Willis Stewart KC (Hon), managing director of the prestigious civil rights law firm Birnberg Peirce. During a long and celebrated career, she has represented the families of Dawn Sturgess, the Grenfell Tower fire, those killed at Hillsborough, Mark Duggan and Jean Charles de Menezes, among others. An arts lover, avid reader and champion of young people, Willis Stewart speaks to Words of Colour’s executive director @msjoyfrancis about how her Jamaican background shaped her passion for social justice, pressuring public institutions to be accountable in the wake of a tragedy, and what these miscarriages of justice say about Britain. She also explains why wellbeing and creativity plays an important role in her work and life. On Wednesday 15 October 2025, Willis Stewart will give a keynote at the sold out @publiclawproject Annual Conference on Inquiries and Investigations under the theme of Strengthening the Constitution. You'll find the link to the interview in our bio. bit.ly/MarciaWillisStewartSpotlight @inquest_org @codemcr @vernon_patrick @synergiproject @redearthconnect @agardsandra @dorotheasmartt @georgepadmoreinstitute @speaking.volumes @diaindeed @nadine_writes @kazgabay @young_and_talented @suzann.mclean @suzannelyncook #civilrights #hillsborough #grenfell

The love that goes into art is often overlooked or underplayed. AI, Home, Sleep and Me, a poetry for change showcase featuring our North of England #poetsofcolourincubator alum - @ilishadoespoetry @jpaknelson and @pabitez , is steeped in it. This reel is a snapshot of their tech rehearsal and the post show discussion, but not the show. We and the fantastic audience were totally immersed during this one year anniversary performance @northern_stage last night. Not a mobile phone in sight. Hosted on the same day EDL took it upon themselves to drag their racially devisive interpretation of free speech to Newcastle upon Tyne, a stone's throw from the theatre, the sense of cameraderie was strong. We are grateful for the healthy and enthusiastic turnout, including people attending a poetry event for the first time. Seeing how much Ilisha, Jeremy and Princess have evolved and built their collective ecosystem since the show's debut is exciting. We have been blessed in our collaborations since the Incubator's launch in 2023 and the original showcase @contactmcr on 12th September 2024. Thanks to our Poets of Colour Incubator co-founders @mcpoetrylibrary , partners @nwnnewwritingnorth , @contactmcr , @mcrcityoflit and Northern Stage. And to @aceagrams for funding the first iteration. A video of the debut performance will be released soon.

@junereid2012 , aka Junie Rankin, DJ, researcher, cultural historian, womanist, activist and co-founder and co-owner of @nzingasoundz has left us to join the ancestors. June co-founded Nzinga Soundz, one of the longest running, female-led sound systems, over 30 years ago with her soul sister and fellow vinyl head DJ Ade (@lyndaroseniorpatten ). A huge achievement. Playing music that traversed the globe, from reggae, rare groove and soul to calypso and soca, sprinkled with Latin, African, Latin and jazz vibes, June and Lynda supported Burning Spear and the Mighty Diamonds, and were consistently invited to major international festivals. June co-launched and co-hosted the popular Sunday afternoon community radio show on SLR (Sophisticated London Radio) featuring interviews with reggae artists, including Ziggy Marley, Augustus Pablo and Betty Wright. She was a postgraduate candidate @goldsmithsuol , in MA Cultural Studies, researching African Caribbean Female Sound System Operators and a History PhD candidate, researching 1960s/1970s Reggae music production. In 18th September 2019, in association with @theministry.london we hosted From vinyl to digital: The [forgotten] women DJ pioneers, an intergenerational discussion with June and Lynda, producer and composer DJ Chillz, DJ, radio presenter and promoter Lady TT and DJ Adibah (Booty Bass Bristol). Three months later Nzinga Soundz rocked our Christmas party at The Ministry, three months before the Covid Pandemic. We miss you June. Our hearts and condolences go out to June's son, family and sista pioneer Lynda. RIP June Reid ✨️🙏🏽💖 📸 @adrianne_________