Catherine Joy White to Curate ‘This Thread of Gold’ Exhibition Celebrating Black Women in British Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre
Catherine Joy White to Curate ‘This Thread of Gold’ Exhibition Celebrating Black Women in British Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre
Black News 
Catherine Joy White to Curate ‘This Thread of Gold’ Exhibition Celebrating Black Women in British Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre
Award-winning author, actor and filmmaker Catherine Joy White (Bridgerton, The Librarians: The Next Chapter, Driftwood (RSC/Kiln Theatre)) will bring her Zora-Award winning book This Thread of Gold: A Celebration of Black Womanhood to Chichester Festival Theatre this October with a new exhibition celebrating Black women who have shaped British theatre across generations.
‘This Thread of Gold: Black Women Who Wove British Theatre’ will launch alongside White’s live conversation with Jessica Huie MBE on Saturday 3 October 2026, and will remain on display throughout Black History Month. The exhibition is free to visit.
Inspired by White’s book - which won the prestigious 2025 Zora Award for Nonfiction and celebrates the history of Black women who challenged stereotypes through film, politics, activism, and beyond - the exhibition traces a golden thread through the history of Black women in British theatre. From pioneering figures who created opportunities where none existed, to contemporary artists continuing to reshape the stage; among those featured are Una Marson, Hattie McDaniel, Yvonne Brewster, Winsome Pinnock, Martina Laird and Michaela Coel, whose work spans playwriting, acting, directing, producing, broadcasting, community and institution-building.
Rather than presenting a conventional timeline, the exhibition explores the connections between generations: the women who created a voice, built a stage, crossed borders, wrote themselves into history and opened doors for those who followed.
The exhibition will feature six original portraits commissioned from British artist Whitney Ellis, created specifically for the exhibition. The use of original illustration forms part of the exhibition's wider exploration of craft, creativity and the act of making.
At its heart is an interactive installation - the Golden Thread - which invites visitors to reflect on the people whose courage, creativity, artistry, kindness or wisdom has shaped their own lives. In a further nod to sustainability and craft, a repurposed tree from Chichester’s props department will form the base of the installation. Visitors can add a name or message to its branches as part of a growing installation throughout October, transforming the exhibition into a collective artwork.
Catherine Joy White said: “I wrote This Thread of Gold because I wanted to trace the threads connecting Black women across time, the women whose work made it possible for the rest of us to stand where we do today, and to do so entirely through a lens of joy. To bring that idea into a theatre, and specifically into Chichester Festival Theatre, feels incredibly meaningful. This exhibition is about recognising what we inherit from the women who came before us and inspiring every single one of us to reflect on what we will pass on - how we will carry forward our own thread of gold.”
Justin Audibert, Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre said: “We’re delighted to welcome Catherine Joy White to Chichester for one of our events marking Black History Month 2026. I’ve recently had the pleasure of directing Cat in Driftwood at the RSC and Kiln Theatre, and know that her talk about This Thread of Gold, and the accompanying exhibition, will be both fascinating and inspiring. Inclusivity is at the heart of Chichester Festival Theatre’s values; we strive to illumine as well as stimulate and entertain, so celebrating the stories of remarkable Black women in British theatre will be both thought-provoking and truly celebratory.”
To celebrate the launch of the exhibition, White will be in conversation with Jessica Huie MBE on Saturday 3rd October at 5.30pm at Chichester Festival Theatre. The conversation will explore the women and stories behind This Thread of Gold, as well as White’s own journey across literature, theatre and film.
The exhibition continues White's wider commitment to creating platforms for Black women and girls through her work as an author, filmmaker, actor and UN gender advisor. She is the founder and CEO of Kusini Productions, an award-winning production company dedicated to bold, globally resonant stories centred on underrepresented voices. Her award-winning documentary Swim Sistas, narrated by Naomie Harris, is now being developed as a mini-series, while her feature films GRO(CERIES) and Black Samphire are in development and pre-production respectively.
Tickets for ‘In Conversation with Catherine Joy White’ are on sale now at https://www.cft.org.uk/offstage/in-conversation-with-catherine-joy-white#content-the-event. ‘This Thread of Gold: Black Women Who Wove British Theatre’ will be on display at Chichester Festival Theatre throughout October 2026. The exhibition is free to enter.
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