Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway

Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway is an internationally acclaimed and multi-award-winning arts leader, film/theatre director, producer, curatorial consultant, changemaker, black plays specialist and dramaturg. Simeilia is the Founder and Artistic Director at Beyond The Canon Limited, Founder and former CEO/Artistic Director at Artistic Directors of the Future, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Black Lives Black Words International Project and the Curatorial Curator at Manchester International Festival.

Her most recent directing film-theatre hybrid production Ride Share written by Reginald Edmund, in partnership with Writers Theatre was listed as one of the best theatre events in 2021 by the Wall Street Journal, nominated for Best Diaspora Narrative Feature by the Africa Film Academy and Simeilia won 'Director of the Year' at the Young Howze Theatre Award 2022.

Simeilia gained international recognition for the commission and direction of The Interrogation of Sandra Bland by Mojisola Adebayo, performed by 100 women of color at Goodman Theatre as part of Black Lives Black Words: I AM Fest.

Moreover, Simeilia has designed award-winning leadership initiatives, including the Board Shadowing Programme which won the 'Innovation Award' at The Stage Awards in 2020. Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway has been listed six consecutive years in the Stage Top 100 Power List and named in the London Evening Standard The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2018 - Performance: Theatre, and included in the Who's Who publication of information on people with influence and interest in all fields. She is also the former troubleshooter and Project Manager of the National Theatre's Black Play Archive, Editor of the first monologue anthology for Black Plays inspired by black British Plays: The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors: Classical and Contemporary Speeches from Black British Plays, which was followed by a second monologue anthology published by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama: Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors, and former Trustee at the Directors Guild of Great Britain and Company of Angels Theatre Company. She also worked across the UK and internationally as a teacher/guest lecturer, audience development and leadership consultant. Simeilia currently has two book deals with Bloomsbury Methuen Publishing due to be released in 2022/23.