Carol Leeming, Leicester based multi-award winning artist, elected Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, has received a MBE in the Queens New Year Honours List for 2019. This is for Carol’s role and contribution to arts and culture in Leicester, as a poet and playwright. Carol says her creative writing ‘ actively seeks to give voice to the voiceless’

Carol is Leicester born of Windrush parents, originally from Jamaica and Antigua. Carol is a champion of Leicester arts creative community, working mentoring and developing many artists and creatives, particularly from the under represented BAME communities. Carol is a Cultural Leader for Black History in Leicester, also built her own arts career successfully firstly in music, and later as a published poet at literary festivals and playwright with productions e.g. at Curve and Brighton Dome theatres. Carol says ‘I am thrilled so very proud to receive this for myself, and on behalf of my Windrush family, my community and ancestors.‘

Carol was the winner of the East Midlands Womens’ Award for Arts Media & Music 2017, and received several awards for Poetry and Writing for Listeners, from the prestigious Leicester Writers Club. Carol has served on the Boards of Arts Council England East Midlands, and Demon FM Radio, De Montfort University. Carol’s other roles include Cultural Commentator, for BBC Radio Leicester, Cultural Exchanges at De Montfort University, writing articles for arts lifestyle magazines.

http://www.daretodiva.org

https://daretodiva2000.wordpress.com

http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/writers-directory/carol-leeming-frsa/

https://serendipity-uk.com/black-history-month-leicester/lost-legends-2/

For further Info /contact

Mob 07960 035838/

Email iriediva@hotmail.com

Carol was commissioned by Inroads Theatre company and Writing South, to write on the theme of women’s anger. A short play Vex was produced and showcased as part of a performance with 11 other women writers at Brighton Dome as part of the annual Brighton Arts Festival.

https://brightondome.org/event/8786/twelve_angry_women/

Carol Leeming was invited by Curve to write and perform a response to the themes of race, class, gender and sexuality in Joe Orton’s seminal work. A sequence of seven original poetry and songs were performed on the main stage. The work was well received by Curve Artistic Directors Nikolai Foster and Julia Thomas and the audience.

What the Butler Saw Leicester Artists Community Response to Joe Ortons’ controversial Play What the Butler Saw at Curve Theatre 11th March 2017

Carol was commissioned to be a dramaturge, by Pamela Roberts a first time playwright to facilitate the writing of a script for a public rehearsed reading.

Carol was also commissioned to direct the play for 7 actors. A successful well-attended public rehearsed reading took place at Attenborough Centre Leicester. The play is being staged in London 2018.

https://daretodiva2000.wordpress.com/2017/06/22/a-scholar-a-statesman-staged-rehearsed-play- reading-a-dramaturge-directing-triumph-for-dare- to-diva/

The Cosmocular Festival is an annual festival in Leicester it attracts large crowds Carol was commissioned to write new suite of songs and music titled One Love Commands for her to perform with a 10 piece World Jazz Music Ensemble. The Cosmocular Ensemble later were invited to perform at Leicester TEdx Event at Curve.