If you don't know... Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway
… let me introduce you!
In my journey to become a better ally and anti-racist, in part I have been learning about the work of BIPOC artists in my communities and sharing their work with my readers.
I’m excited to share the work of Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway, a Black play specialist, theatre director, dramaturg, teacher/facilitator, audience development officer and author.
She is also:
Founder and CEO of Artistic Directors of the Future, the first UK organisation dedicated to increasing the number of culturally diverse artistic leaders in the arts in the UK and internationally.
Founder and CEO of Beyond The Canon, an organisation dedicated to promoting diversity in the arts by championing hidden and forgotten plays by international culturally diverse playwrights.
Co-Founder, Executive Producer and Creative Director at Black Lives, Black Words International Project, activist theatre dedicated to social justice, that commissions, develops and produces bold and unapologetic artistic responses to current social and political issues.
In June 2020, Beyond The Canon launched #BTCWritersRoom, a weekly live podcast series celebrating Black, Asian, LatinX and Middle Eastern plays and playwrights.
The first episode (which is great!) features Simeilia. She offers her recommendations from the Black Play Archive, speaks about her career as a director and educator and shares how she became the editor of The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors and Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors, (buy her books here). They are currently fundraising for this project: Donate here.
Sources: https://www.simeiliahodge-dallaway.com/, https://www.blacklivesblackwords.org/, https://www.instagram.com/beyondthecanon/.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
As I work on my ally-ship & antiracism, I will regularly be sharing the work of independent BIPOC artists. As has been suggested to me by some of my Black and POC readers, I will be centring Black artists for the foreseeable future. If you are a BIPOC artist, or if you know BIPOC artists who you’d love me to bring to the attention of my audience, please email me with your/their names.