Team

Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway

Founder & Artistic Director

Founder and CEO of Artistic Directors of the Future and Co-founder, Executive Producer and Creative Director at Black Lives, Black Words International Project (www.blacklivesblackwords.org), Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway has been listed three consecutive years in the Stage Top 100 Power List and was also named in the London Evening Standard The Progress 1000: London’s most influential people 2018 – Performance: Theatre. Most recently, Simeilia was named Google & TED: Emerging Innovator 2019.

She is also the Founder/CEO of Beyond The Canon (www.beyondthecanon.com), former troubleshooter and 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, interim Associate Producer at Theatre Royal Stratford East and former Trustee at the Directors Guild of Great Britain and Company of Angels Theatre Company.

As a black play specialist and a theatre programming consultant, she is responsible for the revival of Moon on a Rainbow Shawl by Errol John at the National Theatre, Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock, Strange Fruit by Caryl Phillips and Chiaroscuro by Jackie Kay at the Bush Theatre, as part of the Passing the Baton season.

Simeilia has worked nationally and internationally as a theatre director, producer, dramaturg, teacher/guest lecturer, audience development consultant and theatre programming consultant.

Simeilia is currently a member of the editorial team for the Backpages Selection of the Contemporary Theatre Review (Routledge/UK).

Annette Corbett

General Manager

Annette Corbett is an experienced arts and culture professional with a career that spans a range of organisations and artforms. A natural facilitator, her strengths lie in building relationships, identifying connections, and using her initiative and her network of contacts to help bring projects to fruition.

Annette began her arts career supporting Arts Council England’s flagship decibel Performing Arts Showcase diversity initiative. The 2009 Showcase attracted around 350 delegates from across the world to Manchester to attend four days of performances, panel discussions and networking.

After graduating from Goldsmiths College with an MA in Arts Administration & Cultural Policy, Annette joined the Southbank Centre arts programming team, supporting festivals such as Meltdown and Women of the World. She went on to specialise in fundraising, working with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, and then as Development Manager at Dulwich Picture Gallery, managing their mid-level giving and patron schemes. Annette later joined jazz music education charity and development agency, Tomorrow’s Warriors, as their Head of Development.

As a freelance fundraising consultant, producer and arts manager, Annette has supported organisations such as Goldsmiths College, Oily Cart, site specific theatre specialists Teatro Vivo and The Ingenious Group. She was a Fellow of the International Society for the Performing Arts leadership development programme 2017-2019, and is also co-chair of What Next? Lewisham, part of the wider What Next? movement in the UK championing the value of arts and culture in society.

Sandra Thompson Quartey

Associate Producer and Training & Development Manager

Sandra is a talent agent and theatre-maker who believes in being the change you want to see.

From 2015-2018 she ran The Avenue Literary & Talent Management, before merging with Lex Arthur Cob, owned by Sandy Ani-Adjei, to form Arthur Cob and Avenue, known as ACA. The agency primarily represents ethnic diverse and international actors and writers. Sandra has placed actors at theatre venues such as Donmar Warehouse, National Theatre and the Old Vic and with production companies such as BBC, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures and Netflix to name a few. Sandra has sought out talented new writers at the early stages of their career and facilitated relationships between new writers and television production companies.

Sandra previously worked with IAG on both the main division and their IDSA young talent division, working with actors at the beginning of their career as well as providing support for seasoned professionals and high profile actors.

Between 2010-2017 Sandra was the Artistic Director & Producer at Writer’s Avenue Theatre Company, which has produced new writing events and showcases in the main houses of Soho Theatre and The Pleasance. Many artists have gone on to have thriving careers – view success stories here https://www.writersavenuetheatre.co.uk/success-stories The company is currently on hiatus while it evolves and builds a team and will return in 2020.

Sita Thomas

Administrative Assistant

Sita Thomas holds a PhD from the University of Warwick where her research examined issues of cultural diversity in the performance of Shakespeare in the UK. She has a Masters in movement directing from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Sita is currently staff director on Top Girls at the National Theatre, associate director at Kali theatre, and creative associate at Watford Palace.

Previous work as director includes New Views at National Theatre; Where’s Cecily at Southwark Playhouse; Queer Tales/Henesion Hoyw at National Theatre Wales; Princess Sita and the Golden Deer at the Arts Depot; Beyond the Canon for RADA; An Accountant Talks Us Through His Sartorial Choices at the Old Vic; and The Rose and the Bulbul for Kadam. Work as associate director includes Bitched for Kali Theatre at the Tristan Bates; and Zigger Zagger for the National Youth Theatre. As assistant director: Pity at the Royal Court; and Bernstein’s MASS at the Southbank Centre. She was movement director for Much Ado About Nothing and choreographer for Jack and the Beanstalk and Aladdin at the Watford Palace; and movement contributor for Sisters at National Theatre Wales.

Sita creates and facilitates drama, dance and storytelling workshops for people of all ages and has worked for the British Library, Science Museum, Eastside Educational Trust, West End in Schools, and many more. As a film producer/director, Sita created a series of films about Movement for the National Theatre including work with Frantic Assembly that have over 1 million views on the NT YouTube channel.

She is a presenter of Channel 5’s children’s television programme milkshake!