Catching Up... Carol Leeming MBE in New Years Honour List 2019! & The Future

It is some considerable time that has passed, since writing this blog, which has had so many visitors!  It it still an important repository to put my thoughts, events and achievements etc. As it was set up for myself to document an artistic journey as a Black Woman Artist living in Leicester, the East Midlands in England. I also wanted it to be a resource for others to learn about being an artist here at this time. It seems more pressing now with, more cuts and pressure then ever on public funds for arts, education etc, and the possible onset of Brexit (England Leaving the EU), and the implications of what that could mean, for an outward facing internationalist artist like myself. With regard to links and being able to work within say EU Countries. However I wanted to share some fantastic good news...

In January 2019 I was delighted, so proud  have been awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List, for services to arts & culture in Leicester as poet and playwright. This list is announced in the London Gazette, the  Investiture Ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace on March 7th and I received the MBE from HRH Prince Charles. I was accompanied to the ceremony by family and friends.

This national honor is life changing, historic and marks a wonderful milestone in my arts career and spurs me on to bigger and greater things. At the Investiture Ceremony Buckingham Palace, I was able to meet other recipients of the award from all walks of life and backgrounds e.g. the arts, business voluntary charitable sectors etc.

Looking back over this blog and my arts career to date it is clear. I have been on an incredible journey. and yet I feel I am just about to start yet another new chapter.  As of last year my company produced another choreopoem,  Love he life you live...Live the life you love see here http://www.daretodiva.org  an abridged version, which I directed with an excellent male performer. It previewed very successfully, it to a paying audience at a major regional theatre and got very useful feedback. This was with a view to fully producing the play to tour nationally later that year.

Disappointingly, that was not to be, it is even more difficult and competitive a climate for us to gain any arts funding than it was in 2010/11. As such I have reflected,  it is therefore likely the project will be put into abeyance for now. Until  the climate is more positive for arts funding, growth and sustainability.
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For now, I will therefore continue work in my current roles for my company, as Vocal Coach, Music Director, Curator, more recently Consultant re: Culturally Diverse Music Education & Governance. Along with writing and performing poetry, and preparing a full collection for publication after the sell out success of my self published  debut chapbook The Declamations of Cool Eye a few years back. It is hoped I can find a further new role soon, that would offer new challenges, new experiences and work with new people to build on my skills and experience to date, so watch this space...