The University of Birmingham has appointed the acclaimed playwright Juliet Gilkes Romero as Creative Fellow in Writing for Performance.
Born in East London and raised in Suffolk, Juliet started her career as a BBC radio then television journalist, reporting from countries including Cuba, Ethiopia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
In 1997 Juliet was the recipient of the BBC’s Alexander Onassis Bursary and in 2001 she received her Masters Degree in Writing for Performance from Goldsmiths University.
Juliet’s works include ‘Darfur: A Response’, ‘Bilad Al-Sudan’ (How Long Is Never?) (Tricycle Theatre 2006), Diesel (National Theatre Studio), Brethren and Good Iago (both Nottingham Playhouse 2003). In 2009 she won the Best Play Award at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards for her play ‘At the Gates of Gaza’ (Birmingham Rep and UK tour 2008).
Juliet was part of Hampstead Theatre’s Writers’ Attachment Scheme and wrote ‘Sergine’, which was performed at An Evening for Haiti fundraising event in 2010. In 2013 her play ‘Razing Cane’ was nominated for the Alfred Fagon Award and ‘Upper Cut’ ran at Southwark Playhouse in 2015. As well as her stage work, Juliet has also had a drama performed on BBC Radio 4, ‘One Hot Summer’ in 2012.
She is currently under commission at the RSC and Eclipse theatre. Juliet is also writing a new musical with composer Tim Sutton, for producers Mark Cartwright and Tim Johanson.
The University of Birmingham’s Creative Fellowships offer investment and support for artists across a range of disciplines. As a Creative Fellow, Juliet will play an important role in the University’s cultural life. She is developing new creative work through a devised project with the Royal Shakespeare Company, involving staff and students at the University, who will see the project progress from start to finish.
Juliet says: “It is a fantastic opportunity to become Creative Fellow and to work with other creatives at the University of Birmingham. I am particularly looking forward to provoking some passionate cultural debate given the contentious political times we are facing.”