About Us

Theatre that makes a difference

Tangle is an award winning touring theatre company championing African and Caribbean artistic excellence.

Workshop-Negative,-Tangle-Theatre---©HelenMurray-262.jpg — *Tangle*

Since founding in 2009 Tangle has become a leading force for championing African and Caribbean artistic excellence. Our work has changed the landscape for African Caribbean people. We have enabled over 100 isolated and disenfranchised communities and more than 2,000 professionals access to top quality arts and training, promoting cultural cohesion and tolerance.
Our visually stunning theatre productions are performed in a dynamic, multi-lingual African ‘township’ style. A bridge for engagement between different cultures, we produce ‘theatre that makes a difference’, offering a vital access point for diverse, marginalised communities to integrate, empowering participants with a massive social benefit.

*our creative programme*

Our Creative Programme operates in three distinct areas: Productions, Amplify, and Discovery projects. These help to grow collaborative spaces where world views, languages and customs are positively championed within the UK’s evolving communities. Find out more about Our Creative Programme here.

*award winning theatre*

We’ve produced 7 touring productions, from the TMA Award-winning Everyman in 2009 to the sell-out Doctor Faustus in 2018 and Volpone in 2020. Our touring theatre productions focus on rejuvenating classic texts with a distinct aesthetic – combining some Western theatre approaches with the township- style approach of Southern Africa.

*Increasing Cultural Understanding*

Tangle’s touring productions, education programme, and artist development projects have provided a vital access point for diverse and often isolated communities, artists and audiences to come together. We have a particular specialism of touring to and working in rural areas where there is little inter-cultural interface. By building bridges between different cultures, we aim to increase social cohesion and cultural understanding across the UK.

*Nurturing New Talent*

Tangle has supported the career development of over 300 artists and commissioned more than 30 writers and musicians. As part of our ethos, our ongoing AMPLIFY development scheme continues to support existing and emerging talent from African and Caribbean backgrounds in technical theatre roles.

Learn more

“I appreciate Tangle’s vision to set a positive example in building strong relationships between cultures, and to engender a collaborative and creative environment for professional theatre makers to come together, network, support each other and develop material.”

— Yinka Shonibare, CBE (RA)

Tangle hug_orange.jpg — *Promoting Inclusivity and Representation*

Founded on principles of inclusion, representation and equality of opportunity, Tangle celebrates the rich and vital contribution African and Caribbean professional theatre artists make to the UK's culture and society.
You can see data from our first ten years here.

Tangle Values

Our company values reflect the need for generous, unembarrassed, positive two-way conversations between the Tangle artists that deliver, and the people that enjoy our work.

All Tangle’s activities amplify African and Caribbean voices, giving them a louder microphone in terms of creative licence and expression. Our touring productions offer unique, visually stunning, fully accessible presentations of reimagined classics, performed multi-lingually in a dynamic Southern African ‘township theatre’ style with original song and music. The work celebrates the brilliance of African Diaspora artists, provides powerful role models, offers access to the classics for audiences of all kinds and gives our artists a platform to grow.

Generosity
Reaching out to all people, regardless of ability, background and knowledge, and having a listening ear for all, so that, regardless of attitude, people of all kinds can grow understanding of, and appreciation for multi-racial theatre.

Connectivity
Ensuring that we communicate rigorously, so that our networks in South West England are in effective dialogue at all times, and in a strong position to measure the effect and impact of our work. This will help us better present our case for social and cultural change in future.

Brilliance
Ensuring that all our activities are of the highest quality, inspiring audiences of all ages and stages.

Respect
For each other, for our communities and our stakeholders; for everybody who is involved in a Tangle project regardless of their experience, knowledge, ‘learnt views’ or ideas.

Ubuntu
A Nguni Bantu term sometimes translated as "I am because we are’, the principle of ‘ubuntu’ is ‘how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?’ Ubuntu for Tangle implies that we are interdependent, that we are stronger together, that we are all equal, and that we work as a strong team to generate success.