Maria Oshodi

Maria Oshodi worked as a script writer for theatre from 1984-1992.  Her plays including – The S Bend, Blood Sweat and Fears, From Choices to Chocolate, Here comes a Candle and Hound –  were produced by national touring companies such as Talawa and Graeae, and later published by Longmans, Metheuen and John Murray.

As the Artistic Director of Extant, Britains leading professional  theatre  company of visually impaired people,  for the last 20 years she has directed national and international touring productions in a range of settings, including site-specific, traditional venues and art and tech installations, as well as led on Extant’s participation, research and training strategies.

In 2010 she was recognized as one of the ’50 Women to Watch’ in the Cultural Leadership programme. She has appeared consecutively in the disability Power 100 list first published in 2015. And in 2018 she was nominated for a WOW Women of the World creative industries Award in the ‘Bold Moves’ category.

About Extant

Formed in 1997 Extant was the inspired name chosen by a group of professional visually impaired artists, for the emergence of a new dynamic space, intended to redress our invisibility as artists and explore new creative territories.

Since then Extant has:

• Pioneered theatre practice with the express inclusion of visually impaired  performers and audiences
• Produced ground-breaking national tours
• Toured our theatre productions internationally
• Produced tours of the UK by international visually impaired artists
• Led arts consultancies, seminars and research in access and technology;
• Designed outdoor site-specific multi-sensory productions
• Delivered training in education, business and the arts.

Extant’s work pushes boundaries, is consultative and involves high production values.

www.extant.org.uk
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