As Black History Month draws to a close, we’re proud to reflect on the partnerships that help us celebrate, amplify, and sustain the voices that make Southampton’s cultural landscape so vibrant.
At Mayflower, storytelling is at the heart of what we do and through our ongoing collaboration with Our Version Media, we continue to champion authentic narratives from the Global Majority and strengthen our connection with Southampton’s Black communities.
Founded by the inspiring Veronica Gordon, a journalist and community activist with over 15 years of experience, Our Version Media was born out of a desire to challenge the narrow lens of traditional media. Frustrated by the negative and limited portrayals of Black and Brown people, Veronica set out to empower communities with the media skills and confidence to tell their own stories truthfully and powerfully using mobile phones.
This partnership began six years ago with a shared goal: to make live theatre more accessible and relevant to the city’s Black communities. What began as an initiative to raise awareness and remove barriers has grown into something much deeper — a thriving partnership that continues to foster inclusivity and creativity. Today, not only are our audiences more diverse, but some community members have gone on to join our Youth Theatre, bringing fresh energy and perspectives to our stages.
Now a resident company at Mayflower Studios, Our Version Media thrives within our creative hub. Veronica often highlights the warmth and passion of the Mayflower team:
I love meeting people who are passionate about what they do, and I always find that with Mayflower staff. I also love the creative energy of the space.
Through our partnership, we’ve funded storytelling workshops that enable Veronica to offer free training to local residents, opening doors for more people to gain valuable media and communication skills. Together, we’ve also supported Black theatre through partnerships with groups such as Tangle, one of the UK’s leading African-Caribbean theatre companies, who recently brought their powerful production of Julius Caesar to a Mayflower Studios stage.
Our collaboration has also supported Our Version Media’s Community Story Screenings, where short stories shot on mobile phones are shown on the big screen celebrating local creativity and empowering everyday storytellers to see their work in a professional setting.
Through every project, workshop, and performance, our partnership with Our Version Media continues to nurture talent, amplify underrepresented voices, and build meaningful connections through the arts. It’s a celebration not just for Black History Month, but for every month — because diverse stories make our community stronger, our art richer, and our shared culture more alive.
Tangle’s Julius Ceasar
Resident companies
Mayflower Studios is a cultural hub – a space for multiple organisations from different art forms to come together and create inspiring experiences. We collaborate on performances, creation and participation projects to create work that is accessible for everyone.
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