Anni Domingo facts for kids

Anni Domingo is a talented British actress, director, and writer. She works in plays, TV shows, radio, and movies. She also helps lead many different groups. She believes it's important to be involved to make a difference. Anni writes plays, poems, and stories. Her first novel, Breaking the Maafa Chain, came out in 2021.

Early Life and Education

Anni Domingo was born in London, England. Her parents were from Sierra Leone. When she was four, her family moved back to Sierra Leone. They wanted their children to grow up learning about African culture.

She went to school in Freetown. Later, she moved back to the UK for college. She really wanted to become an actress. She got into a drama school to learn acting. In her early 20s, she also became a Speech and Drama teacher. While studying, she worked for the BBC. She helped create radio plays for countries in the Commonwealth.

Later, in her 50s, Anni went back to school. Over seven years, she earned two degrees with top honors. One was in Literature and the other in Creative Writing. She also earned a master's degree in Creative Writing. She later received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

Acting and Directing

Anni's acting career covers theatre, TV, radio, and film. She has appeared in many TV shows and movies. These include Outland (1981) and Wondrous Oblivion (2003). In 2019, she was in several episodes of BBC One's EastEnders. She also performed on stage in Three Sisters. This play was at the National Theatre.

Her theatre work includes many famous plays. She was in Blood Wedding at the National Theatre. She also performed in The Crucible at Regent's Park. Anni has acted in Blithe Spirit and No Boys Cricket Club.

Besides acting, Anni also works in radio. She lectures at places like St Mary's University, Twickenham. She also directs plays at schools like the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Recent plays she directed include Ilé la Wà and The Story of John Archer.

Anni is also a Shakespearean actor. She has toured in Europe, the US, and Australia. She started a company called Shakespeare Link. Through this company, she runs workshops on William Shakespeare. These workshops are for schools, youth clubs, and theatres. She has also written workbooks about Shakespeare for schools.

Writing Career

Anni Domingo's first novel is Breaking the Maafa Chain. It was recognized in the 2014 Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize. It also won the 2018 Myriad Editions First Drafts Competition. Parts of the book are in the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa. The novel was published in 2021 by Jacaranda Books.

Breaking the Maafa Chain is a big historical novel. It is based on the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta. She was an abolitionist and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria.

In 2019, Anni won a spot at Hedgebrook. This is a special place for women writers. She also joined the National Centre for Writing's "Escalator" program. These opportunities helped her start writing her second novel, Ominira.

Anni also received a special scholarship in 2021. It is called the Harold Moody Postgraduate Research Studentship. She is using it to study for a PhD at King's College London. She is researching how black Victorians were shown in literature from 1850 to 1880.

Other Roles

Anni Domingo is a trustee for Rose Bruford College. She is also on the board of Sheffield Theatres Trust. She volunteers with other groups too. These groups work to make the creative industries more diverse and welcoming.

In January 2022, she became the chair of Theatre Peckham. This is a leading community theatre in London. Famous people like John Boyega are patrons of the company.

Other Activities and Personal Life

Anni Domingo has three children. Besides her work in the arts, she has also served as a magistrate in Cambridgeshire. A magistrate is a type of judge who handles less serious cases.

Selected Awards and Recognition

• 2014: Shortlisted in the Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize (for Breaking the Maafa Chain)
• 2015: BEFFTA Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2018: Joint winner (with Rutendo Chabikwa) of Myriad Editions First Drafts competition