Solange Urdang is a British activist, co-founder of the Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) and CEO of the Urdang Academy (from 2001 until 2022), founded by her late mother Leonie. [1]
Urdang is the daughter of Leonie Urdang, founder of the Urdang Academy in London in 1970. Leonie was originally from Cape Town in South Africa and fled the country in the 1960s because of the consequences of apartheid. [2]
Urdang herself studied at the academy (Lower and Upper Schools) and at the High School of Performing Arts in New York. [3]
On 4 May 2024 she was invested as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), recognising her career dedicated to uplifting marginalised communities through the creative arts. [4] The ceremony took place at Windsor Castle and was conducted by Prince William.
Urdang took over the role of CEO of the Urdang Academy from her mother, Leonie, from 2001 until 2022. She continued her mother's legacy and carried over her vision to break barriers in the dance world. [5]
Urdang was instrumental in moving the school to the Old Finsbury Town Hall location (from its previous Covent Garden base), its expansion and most recently its acquisition by City University, London.
In 2021 Urdang started the Dang Collective, a new Arts and Education Company, focusing on pre-vocational and professional training in dance and musical theatre. The Collective officially launched on 1 August 2022. [6]
Its divisions include:
-the Dang Academy, offering training with professionals from the West End
-the Dang Theatre and Dance Syllabus
-the Dang Global
-Dang part-time courses and associates, short courses in dance and musical theatre
-link talent agency
In 2018 Urdang co-founded the Black British Theatre Awards with Omar F. Okai to recognize black excellence in British theatre. The awards are held yearly since and categories include performers, directors, writers, producers and all the behind the scenes technicians. [7]
Sandy Powell is an English costume designer. In a career spanning over three decades, she is recognized for her prolific work across independent films and blockbusters. She has received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and two Costume Designers Guild Awards. Powell was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to the film industry.
The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is an international dance teaching and examination board based in London, England. The registered educational charity, which was established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, provides training and examinations in a range of dance styles and certified dance teacher courses. The ISTD is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Council for Dance Education and Training and is also a member of the British Dance Council. It hosts various competitions in many different formats including Modern Ballroom, Latin American, Classical Ballet and Tap Dance as well as contemporary styles like Disco Freestyle.
The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is a UK-based examination board specialising in dance education and training, with an emphasis on classical ballet. The RAD was founded in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing, and was granted a Royal Charter in 1935. Queen Camilla is patron of the RAD, and Darcey Bussell was elected to serve as president in 2012, succeeding Antoinette Sibley who served for 21 years.
Janet McTeer is an English actress. She began her career training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before earning acclaim for playing diverse roles on stage and screen in both period pieces and modern dramas. She has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Olivier Award, a Golden Globe Award and nominations for two Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2008 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to drama.
David John Braben is a British video game developer and designer, founder and President of Frontier Developments, and co-creator of the Elite series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-founder of and works as a trustee for the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which in 2012 launched a low-cost computer for education.
Tring Park School or Tring Park School for the Performing Arts is a co-educational, independent day and boarding school in Tring, Hertfordshire, England. The school combines academia with vocational courses in the performing arts for pupils aged 8–19. All prospective pupils are required to attend an audition to determine admission, with the exception of those in the Prep School. Around 1 in every 7 applicants are successful.
Walter Charles Dance is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. Dance started his career on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) before appearing in film and television. For his services to drama he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006.
Mona Hammond was a Jamaican-British actress and co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company. Born in Tweedside, Jamaica, Hammond immigrated to the United Kingdom in 1959, where she lived for the rest of her life. Hammond had a long and distinguished stage career. She was best known for her work on British television and played Blossom Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
bbodance, formerly the British Ballet Organization (BBO), is a dance examination board based in London, England.
Lesley Ann Manville is an English actress known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films Grown-Ups (1980), High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010), and Mr. Turner (2014). She has been nominated for two British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Another Year (2010) and Phantom Thread (2017), with her performance in the latter earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) is an art school located in the Harlem section of Manhattan, New York City, United States. Opening its doors in 1964, HSA serves ages 2 through 18.
Dame Catherine Margaret Mary Scott, was a South African-born pioneering ballet dancer who found fame as a teacher, choreographer, and school administrator in Australia. As the first director of the Australian Ballet School, she is recognised as one of the founders of the strong ballet tradition of her adopted country.
The Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT), formerly known as the Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET), is the quality assurance and membership body for the professional dance, drama and musical theatre industries in the United Kingdom. CDMT was founded in 1979.
Jenny Beavan is an English costume designer. In a career spanning over four decades, she is recognized for her prolific work across stage and screen. She has received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, and an Olivier Award. Beavan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to drama production.
Sonita Alleyne, is the Barbados-born British co-founder and former CEO of Somethin’ Else, a cross-platform media production company. Alleyne is a member of the BBC Trust, the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.
Urdang, previously known as The Urdang Academy, is a performing arts academy based in Islington,and previously named the “Best and most competitive drama school” in London. The school was founded as a ballet school under the direction of Leonie Urdang; after her death her daughter and CEO Solange Urdang succeeded her in 2001, reinventing the school as a performing arts college and remaining director until 2022. In April 2022, Urdang was acquired by City, University of London. Urdang provides specialist vocational training in dance and musical theatre at further and higher education level.
Nneka Abulokwe, OBE is a British Nigerian tech and digital governance entrepreneur. She is one of the first Afro-Caribbean professionals in the UK to serve on the board of a leading European digital transformation organization, she is the founder and CEO of MicroMax Consulting. In 2019, she was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Business.
Cassa Pancho's Ballet Black is a British ballet company. It was founded by Cassa Pancho MBE in 2001 as a response to the lack of professional Black and Asian ballet dancers in the UK. The Company was established to provide dancers and students of black and Asian descent with inspiring opportunities in classical ballet. In addition to the professional performing company, Ballet Black also has three BB Junior Ballet School locations, based in London, for ages 3 to 18. The classes are held in Shepherd's Bush, West London, Marylebone and Stratford and the teachers include artistic director Cassa Pancho and Senior Artist Isabela Coracy. The junior school is a key part of the work of Ballet Black, and is essential to creating, building and sustaining the future of diversity in ballet. The company has made a list of actions resources available on their website so that other companies and dance schools can made active steps to become inclusive and anti-racist.
Susan Maria Andi, Hon. FRSL, better known as SuAndi, is a British performance poet, writer and arts curator. Based in North West England, she is particularly acknowledged for raising the profile of black artists in the region as well as nationally. Since 1985, she has been Cultural Director of the National Black Arts Alliance. She was appointed an OBE in 1999 for her contributions to the Black Arts sector. In 2024, she was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL), and was also awarded the Benson Medal, which recognises services to literature across a whole career.
The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAS) are presented annually and recognise excellence among Black performers and creatives in the UK.