Black Love is having a definite ‘moment’, but how is it different to any other kind of love?

Chinonyerem Ombida’s play Black Love premiered at the Kiln theatre earlier this year, and Tina Charisma has described Black Love as “a healthy redefinition of love for Black people – not just a racialised paradigm”.

In this panel these writers will be joined by author Derek Bardowell to discuss what Black Love really is and why we should be shouting about it from the rooftops.

About The Speakers

Derek Bardowell headshot

Derek Bardowell

Derek Bardowell is a writer, CEO of Ten Years’ Time and a Knowledge Equity Fellow at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Said Business School, University of Oxford. He is the author of sports memoir ‘No Win Race’, a Sunday Times and Financial Times Book of the Year in 2019, and the forthcoming book ‘Giving Back: How to Do Good, Better’, which reimagines philanthropy through a reparatory lens. Derek also contributed an essay on charities to the ‘Black British Lives Matter’ anthology. He is the host of Just Cause, a podcast exploring the intersection of race, culture and philanthropy and a Thirty Percy Foundation and Mission 44 trustee. 

Chinonyerem Odimba Headshot

Chinonyerem Odimba

Chinonyerem Odimba is a Nigerian British playwright, screenwriter, and poet. Her recent work ranges from Medea at Bristol Old Vic, We Too, Are Giants for Kiln Theatre, Unknown Rivers at Hampstead Theatre, Prince and the Pauper at Watermill Theatre, The Seven Ages of Patience at Kiln Theatre, and Princess & The Hustler which toured across the UK for Eclipse Theatre/Bristol Old Vic/Hull Truck. More recently has written for Young Vic Theatre on the experimental AI play, RSC/Coventry City of Culture 2021 Faith, and is currently under commission with ETT for Who is She, a projection mapping project, and Kiln Theatre, as well as new commissions for BBC Radio 3 and Kiln Theatre.

As a director, Chinonyerem has worked for Bristol Old Vic, Theatre503 and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, as well a new drama Braids by Olivia Hannah for Live Theatre/BBC Radio 4. In January 2022, Chinonyerem directed a new play by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm ‘When the Long Trick’s Over’ for HighTide Theatre, and more recently directed her new play Black Love at Kiln Theatre.

Headshot of Tina Charisma

Tina Charisma

Tina Antwi, also known as “Tina Charisma,” is a Speaker, Writer, Consultant, and Culture commentator. She is a contributor for several international publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Global Citizen, Elle Magazine ,Teen Vogue, Independent, and several other publications.  

Tina additionally, founded “Charisma Campaign,” an NGO that influences change through culture, advocacy, and sustainable solutions globally.