WEM INTERVIEWS CAROL LEEMING MBE FRSA
Developing Your Creative Practice
ABOUT CAROL LEEMING
Carol Leeming is a multi-award-winning writer, poet, playwright, director and performer. In 2019, she received an MBE for her contributions to Leicester’s arts and culture as a poet and playwright. She is a Fellow for the Royal Society of Arts, a guest lecturer on Nottingham Trent University’s MA Creative Writing course and Derby University’s MA Writing for Performance course, a Writers Mosaic writer, and a Royal Literary Fund Reading Round 2024 Lector.
Her poems feature in several published anthologies, including ‘Valley Dreamers’ in Out of Bounds (pub. Bloodaxe), ‘Some Things that Never Failed Me’ in the anthology Poetry & Covid-19 (pub. Shearsman Press), ‘Song for Guests’ in Welcome to Leicester (pub. Dahlia Press), and in Over Land, Over Sea (pub. Five Leaves Books). Her debut poetry chapbook The Declarations of Cool Eye was published by Dare Diva productions. Her plays include Reality Check for BBC Radio 4, Storm and The Twisted Plait at Haymarket Theatre in Leicester, and Sista’s Doing it for Themselves at the Y Theatre in Leicester.
Carol is a successful recipient of the Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice grant, and we were lucky enough to interview her about her experience applying to the fund. Scroll down to find out more about Arts Council England’s DYCP grant and Carol’s work as a writer.
What is the Developing Your Creative Practice Grant?
CL: It is an Arts Council England grant that enables a writer, artist or creative, to be able to make a step change. A big aspirational step up in their creative artistic practice. To take on a new challenge, learn new skills and gain knowledge. To crucially improve their skills, confidence and profile. To continue to sustain their artistic creative practice and career.
What can writers get out of it?
CL: Writers, I think, can gain a lot e.g. to be paid for desk research, critical writing time, for a new ambitious writing project they may have. To get a mentor, find an agent or to help write a script for stage, broadcast or game, complete a poetry collection or novel. They could also self -publish, produce a publication of their work. To find their own audience of readers or listeners. They consult with influential literary editors, agents, publishers, promoters. Attend important literary events, festivals and conferences. To network across the literature sector, to access opportunities they would not ordinarily be able to.
Why did you choose to apply?
CL: I chose to apply for ACE’s DYCP to R&D my next multi-disciplinary choreopoem theatre project. With Dare to Diva company, I had already successfully written, produced and directed three multi-disciplinary choreopoem plays: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Diva and Love the life You live …Live the Life You Love, both at Curve Theatre Leicester, The Dreadful Dance of Ms. Iniquity, Curated by Greta Mendez MBE, Time to Breathe at Festival Stockwell Playhouse Theatre London, New Writing Festival and Curve Theatre.
However, with this new choreopoem theatre project, I wanted to take on a new challenge, to build more confidence, to improve my compositional skills in music genre/s new to me. To learn about a new way of writing dramatic narrative with an active chorus ensemble. As well as learn about Jamaican Folk Culture & Dancehall Music and Choreography. Finally, to understand more about classical music and venues.
Could you walk us through your application to the grant?
CL: What I would say is: I had to be very clear about what I wanted to achieve, the big step change I wanted to make in my artistic creative practice. I had to think deeply, reflect on my practice to date: what needed to change, improve or progress? Why is it I definitely needed the ACE DYCP Grant to help me achieve that change. I had to do some preliminary consultation e.g. with Curve Theatre, peers, other research of my own.
I would also strongly advise identifying for writers in the literary industry key influential people you need to get access to develop your career. Also do get onboard relevant partners, collaborators, champions and those who know and are interested in your writing to date, s you will be asked in the ACE DYCP application about your writing practice and your artistic creative track record.
My current choreopoem theatre project successfully completed its ACE DYCP R&D phase which included an Artist Week in Residence with a choreographer and a chorus ensemble at Curve Theatre, thanks to the ACE DYCP Grant Award whereby I experimented with my chorepoem narrative, choreography and music composition ideas. I received positive feedback from my mentor, Leo Geyer, Composer, Classical Conductor and Senior Music Lecturer, and peers, Senior Dance Lecturers Funmi Adewole, Melanie Knotts from De Montfort University and Cara Nolan Talent Development/Producer from Curve Theatre.
All I can say at this stage is Dare to Diva company is further fundraising for the project, having recently acquired a national producer. Dare to Diva company continues to receive the support of partners Curve Theatre Leicester, Serendipity Black Arts Heritage Institute Leicester, Writing East Midlands and Guildhall School of Music in London. As an artist I am known for bold, compelling, innovative work in theatre and music. I can say this project is gathering further interest. It will be an ambitious, genre busting, uniquely thrilling theatre spectacle set in Jamaica and Leicester.
Would you mind telling us about your DYCP project, its aims and outcomes?
CL: The aim was to learn about writing a libretto, to compose music for chorus and strings. To learn the historical social context and practice of Jamaican Folk Culture & Dancehall. To write a short libretto and accompanying music. As an outcome, to experiment, deliver and apply what all I had learnt, including Jamaican choreography. For R&D Artist in Residence Week with an ensemble of performers who act, sing and dance. To successfully deliver a short extract of my new choreopoem theatre project. As a body of work in preparation for phase 2 of the project, which is to fundraise for the final production and gain additional partners and venues.
What Advice Would you give to writers Apply for DYCP
CL: NB All the advice I gave to answer 4 above. Additionally, read Arts Council England’s Guidance, the cases studies, watch all the information videos on making a DYCP application. Often writers, artists do not feel confident, about making funding applications. After you worked out what you want to apply for, do get a friend, colleague or professional to assist you with their objectivity. You can also call the ACE Helpline (0161 934 4317) to speak to a Funding Specialist or contact Writing East Midlands for further advice and support. I would say the ACE DYCP is the most accessible ACE Grant Fund. It is there to help you truly progress as a writer or artist.
Do you have any upcoming projects that you’re working on at the moment, that our audience might be interested in?
CL: My exciting choreopoem project and its fundraising is foremost in my mind currently.
Importantly, I have completed a debut collection of poetry which is under consideration with an internationally prestigious print publisher. I am doing a film project, screen writing and directing a short film based in the region.
May 19th 2024 2Funky Café Sun 2-9pm for Gigs Gaza Palestine Medical Charities Event
There is a stellar line up of poets/spoken word artists from Leicester:
Ty’rone Haughton Shareefa Energy, Bobba Cass, Liz Gray, Carol Leeming MBE FRSA , and from Nottingham Michelle Vacciana and Davina Songbird.
June 15th 2024 Cultural Vibrations (Unity through Music) curated by Rastrella Falade at Antenna (Confetti), Nottingham. I am thrilled to be reading my poetry. Headlined by Anthony Joseph (T.S. Elliot Winner 2022) alongside other notable regional Black poets.
*Earlier at the Cultural Vibrations event at 2.30pm I’ll also be one of three Workshop Facilitators, delivering creative writing workshops looking at Pidgin English and Caribbean Patwa and how it has influenced the way Spoken Word is written and performed, and how West African Caribbean Diaspora dialects have changed the landscape of UK accents and language, incorporating ‘identity’, ‘melting pot’ and ‘representation’. Workshop participants have the opportunity to share their work. This Cultural Vibrations event is a part of Nottingham Poetry Festival 2024.
June 25th 2024 Speakey Spokey event at the British Library, curated by Colin Grant, Author & Director of Writers Mosaic (div of the Royal Literary Fund). I will be reading/performing my poetry alongside other poets and writers. The theme of the evening is ‘Music.’
You can find out more about Carol Leeming’s work and what she’s up to by following her social media accounts listed below:
And you can find out more about Arts Council England’s DYCP grant here:
Developing Your Creative Practice | Arts Council England
If you’re thinking of applying to ACE’s next round of DYCP funding but don’t know where to start, our upcoming masterclass might be able to help.
