To think Black Out nights in theatre ARE important

It is actually legal though to hold single sex events and have single-sex organisations/schools etc as there are specific exemptions in the Equality Act.

There are no such exemptions for race and single-race events, organisations and services are always unlawful.

Luckily, and despite what half the contributors to this thread appear to think, Black Out nights are NOT single race events and no puntet, of any race, will be turned away.

I think it's true that it isn't possible to hold a women-only event these days.

That's not to say that I think it should be impossible though.

And I don't think that the difficulties currently relating to women-only events should be used to justify shutting down events that are aimed at other historically disadvantaged groups. (Not that I'm saying you're suggesting that it should.)

This kind of does nothing for racial harmony. The UK is about 82% white so its not rocket science to work out that the majority of theatre audiences will be white. Is there anything stopping other ethnicities attending theatre performances? Is someone standing at the door telling them they can't come in?

You're maybe not aware that it's almost impossible to hold a women only event nowadays. Most people who try get cancelled and deplatformed.

Yes. It’s really not that controversial. @PressureLikeATickTickTick doesn’t need to approve.

@HotelKitchen i'm amazed that there is a conception that Mumsnet is full of woke liberals, I genuinely didn't know that! My experience us it's quite quite the opposite!

Because white people are the default. They're always welcome everywhere. That isn't always the case for other races.

These threads bring out the racists.

There is a misconception I think that MN is full of ‘woke liberals’. Post the ‘right’ kind of thread and the Neanderthals come crawling out!

Oooh, I’ve just thought how this could be a win-win for everyone: loads of racist half-wits who think this is a “blacks only” performance turn up and demand to be admitted. To their great surprise they get admitted, the theatre gets bums on seats from people who would never normally attend the theatre, and the racists might actually learn something.

I think you're right that it's another way to tell black people off for talking about their experiences of racism and discrimination.

I completely understand why some people might find it easier to be around others who truly "get it". I honestly don't know why it's so hard for some people to accept this.

I'm half black and I hate it. It makes me very uncomfortable, we should be moving towards a world where race doesn't matter. This is going in entirely the wrong direction.

How on earth can you be so sure of that?!

The theatre will definitely sell out but it will be on the basis of people scrambling to attend a controversial "moment" not necessarily for the sake of theatre or the play itself which is why its a marketing ploy

I think black people can vote with their feet.

If the majority don't like the idea of a Black Out night, then they don't have to attend on those nights. They can buy tickets for one of the other nights, or they can go to see something else instead.

If the theatre isn't able to sell tickets for the Black Out nights, then they're unlikely to repeat the experiment.

If the theatre fills up on these nights, then it would appear that they're catering to a genuine need/want in the community.

It's inevitable that there will be differing views on this from people with different life experiences. That's OK. People are allowed to want different things.

I really don't think this is going to be a slippery slope towards wider segregation. That point of view seems very far fetched to me.

I don’t get the big deal about this. They have some nights where they are encouraging black audiences to come, that’s all. They’re not stopping non-black punters from attending on those nights at all (which would be illegal anyway).

Can anyone explain why black people feel the theatre is not for them?
I regularly go to the theatre and would say about 20% of performers are black which is a lot more than the general population.
So if you can see people like you on stage why not buy a ticket and go?

I really don’t get the big deal about this, it feels like another way to tell black people off for talking about their experiences of racism and discrimination in this country.

I remember watching roots in school, with my predominantly black class. Some of the white children were laughing, some of the black children were angry, embarrassed, uncomfortable etc. Yes we were all children but that is a feeling I have experienced many times throughout my life. Sometimes, it just feels better to have others around you who ‘get it’, it can feel safer and more comfortable. Not everyone feels that way of course and if so, you don’t need to engage. But telling black people your wrong or silly for feeling that way is so passive aggressive to me and part of the reason why the under current of racism is alive and well. You don’t need to understand why this is important to some, it is. If you want to understand why genuinely, be open to discussions and hearing the other person’s perspective.

So maybe not filling the theatre is a risk that they have decided they're willing to take? That's their call, really.

❤️ @StormingNorman & @NeverDropYourMooncup

But if they wanted to attend as a family of mixed heritage, why wouldn't they just go on one of the other nights?

Not going to get into a debate about "white money"...

That's why I said some black people. I am aware that black people are not one homogeneous group and I have already acknowledged further up this thread that some black people might prefer to attend one of the regular performances instead. And of course, some black people might not be interested in watching it at all.

All I'm saying is that, if there are black people who would welcome the opportunity to watch this play in a audience that only includes other black people, then I think it's right that they should have the opportunity to do so. If the theatre doesn't manage to sell enough tickets, that's their loss.

Some women don't seem to care about single sex spaces. That's fair enough, they are entitled to feel whatever they feel. But their lack of interest in single sex spaces doesn't invalidate my belief that such spaces can sometimes be very valuable.