In conversation with Natasha Cox: Learning leads to new creative Saturday school for Black boys

Natasha founded a community interest company, Actively SeeK.I.N.G, in 2019, with K.I.N.G standing for ‘Knowledge, Identity, Nurturer and Gifts’.

But it was her exploration of the schooling systems in the USA, Ghana and the Caribbean that led to the next stage of Actively SeeK.I.N.G: launching the House of K.I.N.G.s Saturday School, supporting Black boys through performing arts, leadership training and life skills development.

So what inspired this performer and 2004 Laurence Olivier Award winner to set up Actively SeeK.I.N.G, and go on to a Churchill Fellowship? The answer lies in Natasha’s background as a proud East Londoner growing up in Newham.

Focusing on supporting the community

"Everything I have done is based on the premise of helping people," says Natasha. "Alongside my performing arts career, and in between jobs, I have always done events and projects in the community. In fact, the name came from the fact that I was often ‘actively seeking’ my next job. I did a lot of work with local theatres like Stratford East and Hackney Empire, working on their youth projects and then started creating my own."

In 2019, Natasha stepped back as a performer, founding Actively SeeK.I.N.G. During lockdown, she decided to focus specifically on supporting Black boys and in 2022 formulated its ethos, drawing on data and research she had produced for her Masters dissertation while at Bayes Business School.

"I thought, ‘What makes me passionate? What makes me angry?’ I understood the power of the arts and how they can help change people, and that is where the company zoomed in on that specific demographic."

The first Actively SeeK.I.N.G project was an Arts Council funded research project, working with young Black boys. The result was a play, ‘Don’t Write Me Off’, performed to schools as a forum theatre, making it interactive with audiences. The play is due to go on tour in October 2026.

But it was the Churchill Fellowship that helped take Actively SeeK.I.N.G to the next level.

Learning from schooling overseas

Starting with the USA, Natasha visited schools where Black children were excelling. "I wanted to know what they were doing well that we could implement into our schools, or policies or creative projects."

She went on to Ghana – where many of the Black boys she works with have their roots – and from there to the Caribbean. Natasha looked at both state-funded and private schools, and also those where Black children were doing less well, to get a more rounded view.

"What I learned really helped me pinpoint different perspectives and expectations for young boys. Families and parents were so well-connected to the school, with many extracurricular activities and great community involvement."

Putting learning into practice

Natasha has created a documentary as her report, which she hopes to screen this October.

"It is about celebrating everything I experienced on my travels and, because of my background in performing arts, I wanted it to be entertaining as well as educational."

But the real manifestation of her learning is the Saturday school which – influenced by her learning – heavily involves parents and the community as much as possible.

"It’s absolutely brilliant. The boys recently had to do a pitch in front of a panel, an activity based on my experience when I was part of a business incubator at University of East London. The youngest is seven years old and they did phenomenally well!"

And Natasha believes she has the Fellowship to thank for this latest stage of Actively SeeK.I.N.G: "It was literally life-changing for me. You gather research but also discover who you are at the same time. Doors were opened that would otherwise have been closed."