Notes of a Native Son: Baldwin and Artists’ Roles
Dive into a reading and discussion examining artistry, activism and the role of the artist through the lens of celebrated US writer James Baldwin.
Join us for a staged reading of Baldwin’s essay 'Notes of a Native Son' by acclaimed actor and director Burt Caesar, followed by a panel discussion on activism, intellectual insight and role of the artist as a chronicler of the times.
For the discussion, Caesar is joined by writer, broadcaster and social advocate Yassmin Abdel-Magied; founding editor of James Baldwin Review Professor Douglas Field; and Words of Colour's Creative Producer Heather Marks.
Notes of a Native Son was the non-fiction collection that launched James Baldwin as a cultural critic in the 1950s.
Burt Caesar is an actor and director across theatre, television and film. He is a former Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre and Artistic Adviser at RADA. He played the role of Meridian in the British premiere of James Baldwin’s Civil Rights-era tragedy Blues for Mr Charlie at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. He also curated the programme The Price of Baldwin’s Ticket at the BFI.
Douglas Field is a writer and academic. He is professor of American literature and culture at the University of Manchester. His books on James Baldwin include the upcoming Walking in the Dark: James Baldwin, My Father, and Me. His work has been published in The Big Issue, The Guardian and the Times Literary Supplement. He is a founding editor of James Baldwin Review, and is leading the Arts and Humanities-funded project James Baldwin and Britain.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-born writer, broadcaster and award-winning social advocate, who has published five books. She founded her first organisation, Youth Without Borders, at the age of 16, before co-founding two other organisations focused on serving women of colour. Abdel-Magied is on the Executive Committee of the Black Writers Guild. She is an advocate for transformative justice and a fairer, safer world for all.
A collaboration between the immersive change agency Words of Colour and the Southbank Centre.
Need to know
For ages 16+
Dates & times
Price
- Standard entryFrom £15*
- Concessions25%**
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
Book as early as you can to ensure the best choice of tickets. Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
** Limited availability. Read about concessions.
Tickets can only be sold through the Southbank Centre and our authorised agents, and can't be resold. You can return your tickets to the Southbank Centre for a credit voucher up to 48 hours before the event. Tickets resold on any third-party platforms will become invalid.
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Venue
Purcell Room
Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our visitors and staff.
Open 90 minutes before an event until the end of the event. Closed at all other times.
Our address is: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. The nearest tube and train stations within 5-7 minutes walk are Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines) and Embankment (District & Circle lines). There are also lots of bus routes with stops 2-5 minutes from our venues. For more information on getting here by road, rail or river.
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More information
Find out all you need to know about tickets, including concessions, group bookings, returns, credit vouchers and more, via the link below.
Get an overview of the seating layout of the Purcell Room by downloading our seating plan.
Toilets
An accessible toilet is located in the foyer.
A Changing Places toilet is located on Level 1 Royal Festival Hall next to the JCB Glass Lift, for the exclusive use of disabled people who need personal assistance to use the toilet.
The facility includes a height-adjustable bench, tracking hoist system, a centrally-placed toilet, a height-adjustable basin and a shower. Please visit the Welcome Desk on Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, where a member of staff can provide you with the key. You can also use the phone next to the Changing Places toilet to speak to a member of staff. The facility is open daily 10am – 11pm.
Cloakroom
The Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room cloakroom is closed. You won’t be able to bring any bags over 40 x 25 x 25cm into the venues, so please leave large bags at home.
We're cash-free
Please note that we're unable to accept cash payments across our site.
Purcell Room is located in Queen Elizabeth Hall. For step-free access please use Royal Festival Hall JCB glass lift to Level 2 and enter via Riverside Terrace.
Talk to a member of staff at the auditorium entrance if you have a disability that means you can’t queue, or you need extra time to take your seat. They can arrange priority entry for you as soon as the doors open.
Please bear with us while we update our access map to reflect the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall’s Level 2 foyer spaces. The step-free routes remain the same.