[1][2] It was founded by Clarence Bayne and Arthur Goddard, who were also instrumental in establishing the Trinidad and Tobago association.
Over the years, the Black Theater Workshop has been renowned for its collaboration with numerous accomplished artistic directors.
Black Theater Workshop was officially established in February 1970 and subsequently incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1971, tracing its origins back to the Drama Committee of the Trinidad and Tobago Association.
[3][4] This committee, spearheaded by individuals such as Clarence Bayne and Arthur Goddard, founders of the Trinidad and Tobago Association, drafted the organization's initial Constitution and by-laws.
[7][8] BTW's inaugural professional production, How Now Black Man by Lorris Elliott, a professor at McGill University, was brought to life through the collaboration of the Trinidad and Tobago Association.
Dr. Bayne, acting as the Executive Producer and representative of the Association's interests, oversaw this production, except for a brief hiatus from the company between 1970 and 1972.
During his tenure, he successfully secured the initial professional grant from the Canada Council, alongside matching funds from the Multicultural Directorate in Ottawa.
Throughout its history, the theater has been led by numerous artistic directors, including Dr. Clarence Bayne, Errol Sitahal, Terry Donald, Dwight Bacquie, Lorena Gale, Don Jordan, Winston Sutton, Fleurette Fernando, Nancy Delva, Kate Bligh, Rachael Van Fossen, and Tyrone Benskin.
[11] Since 1986, the theatre has given out the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award, presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to African-Canadian artistic and cultural life in Canada.
BTW presents the gala each year to celebrate the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King to non-violent social change.
[15] In 2005, BTW was recognized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Committee of Montreal for its Historic Contribution to the Development of Black Performing Arts in Canada.