Writer, consultant and director Maria Oshodi shares the steps of her career path.
Artistic Director, Extant (2003 - present)
As Artistic Director of Extant – the UK’s only professional performing arts company of visually impaired people – I have directed a number of new and, more recently, classic pieces of work. We have also toured in the UK and internationally. I am extremely proud of the work we have delivered. Our productions have included large-scale site-specific events in The Great Eastern Hotel London, cabaret performances in the dark, and large-scale outdoor promenade shows for Liberty Festival at Greenwich Observatory and Trafalgar Square. We have performed at numerous festivals and venues throughout Europe including Festivals in Zagreb Croatia, Helsinki, France and Berlin. I am currently directing a tragic farce ‘The Chairs’ by Eugene Ionesco, translated by Martin Crimp.
I’m honoured to have won a couple of awards. In 2010 I was recognised as one of the ‘50 Women to Watch’ by the Cultural Leadership Programme, and in 2014 I was awarded a Cultural Exchange International fellowship by the British Council to participate in a residency with Watts Village Theatre Company in Los Angeles. 2014 is a really busy and exciting year.
Freelance writer (2000s)
I have written for some innovative projects, from an audio ‘dramatic walk’ through the streets of Putney, to a Braunarts multi-media project involving spatialised sound in the dark at the Science Museum. In 2007 I was commissioned by Heritage Lottery to write a site-specific play commemorating Oliver Cromwell’s Putney Debates, produced at St Mary’s Church in Putney. I was born and have lived for most of my life in South West London. Whilst living in the area I met and worked with actor Clive Merrison who is now a patron of Extant.
Project Coordinator for Diversity, BBC (2000-2003)
I initially entered the BBC through the Extend scheme and worked in the drama department as a project co-ordinator, promoting diverse freelance talent in the department, including directors, producers and sound engineers. My initial contract was for 3 months but I ended up staying for 3 years. It was a brilliant training ground and my experiences working there still help me to this day, for example I learnt about the importance of networking which is key to the work I do now to help promote Extant.
Playwright & Screenplay writer (1984-1994)
I have written plays for some fantastic theatres including the Royal Court Theatre, Talawa Theatre and Graeae. It began in 1984, when the Royal Court produced my play 'The S Bend' directed by David Sulkin. The play was also staged at Cockpit Theatre in 1985. In 1987 my production ‘From Choices to Chocolate' was staged at Riverside Studios, and in 1988 I embarked on a national tour with Harmony Theatre staging 'Blood Sweat and Fears', which was then produced three more times by different theatre companies. After that I worked with Talawa Theatre Company amongst others, my screenplay ‘Mug’ was aired on Channel 4, and in 1992 I wrote a play for national tour called ‘Hound' with Graeae Theatre Company.
Three of my plays have been published: ‘The S Bend’ (1986); ‘Blood Sweat and Fears’ (1989), and a series of three plays used in education: ‘Bulls Eye’, ‘Mag Zine’, ‘Jacks and Kings’, published in 1990. These are still on reading lists at universities all over the world and, to this day, I get people contacting me saying how much they have been inspired by the positive characters.
Being a playwright and arts manager inspired me to start Extant and made me realise exactly what sort of organisation I want to run.
Maria Oshodi is Artistic Director of Extant, and a freelance writer, consultant and director.
www.extant.org.uk
Extant theatre company stages The Chairs by Ionesco at Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton and the Albany Theatre, Deptford London 16 April 2014 to 2 May 2014. Extant’s next project Flatlands will take place in spring 2015.
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