Black Theatre Network
A Diverse Group of Artists • Educators • Scholars •
Students • Theatre Lovers
Dedicated to the Exploration and
Preservation of the
Theatrical Visions
of the African Diaspora
PURPOSE: BTN’s function is to expose the beauty and complexity of the inherited theatre work of our African American ancestors and to take this work to a higher level into the 21st century and beyond. We seek to unite those who share this rich inheritance to assure we all work TOGETHER
HISTORY: The origins of the Network can be traced to the National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts (NADSA) and the first African American pioneers of the American Theatre Association who founded the Afro Asian Theatre Project in 1965. They subsequently established the African Theatre Project which became the Black Theatre Project (BTP). Finally, in 1986 BTP members voted to form a totally independent BLACK THEATRE NETWORK.
MISSION: BTN's ongoing drive is to COLLECT, PROCESS and DISTRIBUTE information that supports the professional and personal development of its members and therefore nurtures the growth of Black Theatre. To meet its goals, BTN has developed programs that target specific sectors of its constituency while operating under the conviction that we are all in this continuum together; and therefore we are to help each other. The network provides a development of excellence and the growth of new visionary theatre professionals through its student design and writing competitions. Through its Recognition Awards, BTN acknowledges exceptional accomplishments and participation in workshops designed to help others develop skills specific to Black Theatre.
