Black Lives Black Words

Black Lives Black Words

Founded in 2014, Black Lives Black Words (BLBW) is an international project that amplifies the voices of Black Artists to address social issues and promote dialogue on the experiences of the Black communities. Founded by Co-Founders Reginald Edmund and Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway, the project aims to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement and foster discussions about racial injustices globally through bold and innovative partnerships with academic and art organizations throughout the world. 

Reginald Edmund
Co-Founder, Managing Curating Producer

Reginald Edmund is the Co-Founder and Managing Curating Producer for Black Lives, Black Words International Project. In 2021, his work with BLBW was recognized by the Gard Leadership Award. In addition, he was a Resident Playwright at Tamasha Theatre in London, England and an Alumni Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists Theatre, an Artistic Associate at Pegasus Theatre-Chicago and an Artistic Patriot at Merrimack Repertory Theatre; he was also a 2010-11 Many Voice Fellow with the Playwrights’ Center. His play Southbridge was runner up for the Kennedy Center’s Lorraine Hansberry and Rosa Parks National Playwriting Awards, and most recently named winner of the Southern Playwrights’ Competition, the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best New Play and the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. His nine-play series titled The City of the Bayou Collection, include Southbridge, Juneteenth Street, The Last Cadillac and All the Dying Voices were developed at esteemed theaters including Pegasus Theatre-Chicago, Deluxe Theatre, Actors Theatre of Charlotte, Bush Theatre (UK), Theatre @ Boston Court, The Landing Theatre, Playwrights’ Center and The National Theatre (UK). Reginald Edmund received his BFA in Theatre-Performance from Texas Southern University and his MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University. 2014

Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway
Co-Founder, Creative Director

Simeilia is an internationally acclaimed arts leader, director, producer, changemaker, black plays specialist and dramaturg. More recently recognised 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. Simeilia is the Co-founder and Creative Director at Black Lives Black Words International Festival, Founder and CEO at Beyond The Canon Limited, Curatorial Consultant at Manchester International Festival and Founder and former CEO at Artistic Directors of the Future. Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway has been listed five consecutive years in the Stage Top 100 Power List (2017-21), selected by Google and TED as one of the five international Emerging Innovators (2019), named in the London Evening Standard The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2018 - Performance: Theatre, included in the Who Who's 2020 publication: The standard, up-to-date source book of information on people of influence and interest in all fields and recipient of The Stage Innovation Award for her work on diversifying UK arts boards in 2020. She is also former researcher, trouble-shooter and Project Manager of the National Theatre's Black Play Archive, Editor of the first monologue anthology 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, inspired by the work of international playwrights, 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 works nationally and internationally as a teacher/guest lecture, audience development consultant and leadership consultant.

©Black Lives Black Words 2014