Created in 1968 and making groundbreaking strides, the organisation is looking to further expand

Home is where the heart is but it also brought hardships for the National Black Theatre (NBT). “We have always produced in this space, but it was with a leaky roof, with low ceilings,” recalls Sade Lythcott, the chief executive. “Our artistic ambition was always stifled by the space that we had.”

That is about to change when the NBT, a groundbreaking organisation forged in the searing political heat of 1968, prepares to move into a major new arts complex spanning an entire city block on 125th Street in Harlem, New York. Set to open in 2027, the $80m project will contain two hi-tech theatres as well as affordable artist housing, a set-building shop and site-specific installations by artists Sanford Biggers and José Parla.