kuumba nia
arts
Oxford based Kuumba Nia Arts (KNA), bring African and Caribbean Heritage peoples histories and contemporary stories to life through theatre and film. We are a not for profit theatre company founded in 2009 by Amantha Edmead. We have a core team of three directors and we work with a range of artists and practitioners on a project to project basis. The artist vision of the company is shaped by Amantha and John Sailsman.
Our aim is to share and celebrate African and Caribbean heritage cultures, experiences and stories, that we don’t often see or hear. We work through theatre, workshops, storytelling, film screenings and events.
We use elements of the Griot tradition and Black African theatrical aesthetics creating a fusion of song/dance/drama/storytelling and music in our work.
Our research is based primarily from African Heritage sources.
We aim to encourage more African and Caribbean Heritage people to engage with the arts by sharing stories that are relevant to and reflect them.
We want to promote and foster community cohesion and understanding through our work so our stories are universal and can be enjoyed all.
We hold a Q&A after every show so audiences can comment, share thoughts, help to shape the work and meet each other.