Following a pilot programme from 2024-25, Leeds Heritage Theatres has announced it is working with acclaimed writer, rapper and beatboxer Testament as Associate Artist – a programme designed to support and champion creative talent across Leeds and the wider region.

The Associate Artist initiative offers individual artists the space, support and creative freedom to develop their work while strengthening connections with Leeds Heritage Theatres’ venues, audiences and teams. Designed as a flexible framework that will evolve, the programme aims to deepen the organisation’s artistic reach and nurture creative excellence.

Through the scheme, artists will receive:
Dedicated time and space to create and test new work
Professional development opportunities, including mentoring, fundraising advice, marketing and technical support
Audience-facing opportunities, such as events, workshops and engagement activity
A role in shaping Leeds Heritage Theatres’ position as a cultural leader and creative hub for the city

The programme is a two-year appointment for Testament, with a second artist to be invited to join in 2027. It will then operate as a rolling initiative.

Based in West Yorkshire, Testament’s multidisciplinary work spans spoken word, playwriting, composition, essays, radio presenting and live beatboxing, for which he holds the Guinness World Record.

Having already led Beatbox workshops for 5-12-year-olds during Leeds Heritage Theatres’ inaugural Easter festival, Explore, and performed at The Varieties alongside jazz pianist Matthew Bourne, Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae, and Far Cry Acapella Choir in William Blake Remixed, Testament says, “I am grateful for this opportunity. I hope I can bring uplifting and positive work to this city that has given me so much. Leeds is so full of great talent and ideas that it often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. As an artist here, I hope to use this time to encourage young people in this city as well as bring a national spotlight to how amazing this place truly is.”

As a rapper, he released the acclaimed Hip‑Hop album Homecut: No Freedom Without Sacrifice and has created spoken‑word performances for BBC TV and BBC Radio (1Xtra, Radio 4 and 6 Music).

A versatile playwright, he has written for leading theatres including The Royal Court, Leeds Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Exchange Theatre, where he was also Channel 4 Writer in Residence. His screenwriting credits include projects for Netflix, Disney+, BBC and Channel 4.

Across his career, he has collaborated with high-profile figures and won the BBC Urban Music Talent Award. His first play, Blake Remixed, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe and cemented his reputation for blending music, literature and theatre.