Last week, we were delighted to welcome Fehinti Balogun, BAFTA-nominated actor, writer and environmental campaigner, to OSD as part of our ongoing Open Wednesday series.
Open Wednesdays are an important part of life at OSD, bringing us together as a community to share ideas, challenge perspectives, and create conversations that can lead to meaningful change. Past discussions have shaped initiatives, including the Student Charter, while guest speakers open our minds to ideas and opportunities we may not otherwise have considered.
Fehinti’s visit embodied exactly what Open Wednesday aims to create: a thoughtful, generous and inspiring space for conversation.
Fehinti Balogun trained at RADA, where he studied screen acting under OSD Principal Edward Hicks. Recently BAFTA-nominated for his performance in Down Cemetery Road, Fehinti is known for his acclaimed screen work in I May Destroy You and A Gentleman in Moscow. As both an actor and a writer, he has built a multifaceted creative practice and uses his platform to champion causes close to his heart.
Alongside his work on stage and screen, Fehinti is a passionate environmental advocate. Students heard about his work with Green Rider and his critically acclaimed play Can I Live?
Green Rider is an actor-led organisation of actors, agents, and producers who aim to shift the TV & Film industry towards a fairer and healthier way of working. They launched their organisation in August 2023, and since then have worked closely with productions such as The Capture (BBC), Wolf Hall (BBC) and Gangs of London (Sky TV). Most recently, they reduced the emissions of Gangs of London by 80%.
Fehinti spoke powerfully about the role artists can play in creating change. As he reminded students, “We cannot let the fear they give us stop us from making a change.” His words resonated deeply, highlighting the importance of using creativity not only to entertain, but to challenge, connect and inspire action.
Can I Live? Was conceived, written and performed by Fehinti Balogun in collaboration with theatre company Complicité. Blending spoken word, rap, theatre, animation and personal storytelling, the piece explores the relationship between climate justice and social justice through Fehinti’s own journey into environmental activism as a young Black British man. At its heart is an urgent yet hopeful invitation to engage with the climate crisis collectively, rather than out of fear or helplessness.
Fehinti Balogun in Can I Live?
Speaking with our First- and Second-Year students, Fehinti shared honest reflections on the realities of building a career in the arts. From pitching projects and developing original work, to having the confidence to believe you’re the best in the room. Encouraging students to push through perfectionism and self-doubt, he reflected: “We can’t not make the thing because we fear it might not be brilliant.” It was a reminder of the courage required to create, and of the value in making work even when outcomes feel uncertain.
What stayed with many in the room was Fehinti’s belief in the power of storytelling as a means of resistance and possibility. His openness, generosity and willingness to speak candidly about both creativity and responsibility left a lasting impression on everyone present.
We want to extend a huge thank you to Fehinti for taking the time to speak with our students. Everyone in the space left feeling deeply inspired, and we have no doubt that the conversations sparked during this Open Wednesday will stay with our students long after their training ends.
If you’re interested in Fehinti Balogun and his work, we’ve linked a number of his TED talks, interviews, and addresses below, as well as resources about the Green Rider and how to arrange screenings of Can I Live? for your community.
- Green Rider resources for Actors, Producers, and Agents can be found here: https://www.green-rider.org/resources
- Details about booking a screening of Can I Live? can be found here https://www.complicite.org/work/can-i-live/
- You can find the Can I Live? programme, which includes resources and information about climate action, here: https://www.complicite.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Can-I-Live_Climate-Change.pdf
- You can follow Green Rider on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/greenriderorg/