IRIE dance theatre is Britain’s leading dance theatre company working in the field of African & Caribbean dance fusion. Founded in 1985 by Beverley Glean with the principal aim of heightening the profile of Black dance in Britain, the company set out to create a repertory of works reflective of the African Caribbean influence on the Black British cultural experience.

The Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies (CCDS) at Goldsmiths, University of London is a leading international Resource and Research Centre for the study, promotion and dissemination of Caribbean and diaspora culture. We continue to develop with a range of contemporary practitioners including writers, performers, oral historians, and technologists, the representation and promotion of Caribbean cultural knowledge and heritage in the UK, and internationally.

Marl’ene Edwin is the Deputy Director of the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies and Programme Convenor for the MA in Black British Literature at Goldsmiths. She teaches Caribbean literature to undergraduates and postgraduates. She is the Academic Lead for the Equity Awards scheme at Goldsmiths, a scholarship programme supporting Black and Brown students to achieve their full potential. She is also the Chair for the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award.

Joan Anim-Addo is a creative writer and interdisciplinary scholar whose writing has engaged Lewisham for decades. She spearheaded ‘Lewisham Literature Festival: A Celebration of Black Writing’, 2003. Her Longest Journey: A History of Black Lewisham continues to inform and inspire action borough-wide. She is co-founder of Goldsmiths’ Creative and Life-Writing postgraduate programme which has produced many inspired contemporary UK writers. She is Director of the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies and Emeritus Professor, Goldsmiths.

Originally from Accra, Ghana, Nii Kwwartey is a traditionally trained choreographer in traditional and contemporary West African dance and music and currently an African Dance Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Diverse Dance Course at Irie! Dance Theatre, London, accredited by University of Roehampton and Leeds City College.

Beverley Glean founded IRIE! dance theatre in 1985. She has been working in the field of dance in particular Dance of the African Diaspora (DAD) for over 40 years and is a pioneering force in DAD in Britain. The company pioneered the move towards representing and promoting reggae music and movement nuances on stage in the UK. IRIE! is the only dance theatre company delivering BA (Hons) and MA with a primary focus on African and Caribbean traditional dance forms