Theresa Ikoko facts for kids

Theresa Ikoko is a British writer who creates plays and screenplays. She is known for her powerful stories. Her play Girls won the Alfred Fagon Award. This play is about three girls who face big challenges after being taken by a group in northern Nigeria.

In 2019, Theresa became even more well-known. She co-wrote the movie Rocks with Claire Wilson. This film is a coming-of-age story. It earned Theresa a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2021.

Early Life and Education

Theresa Ikoko grew up in Hackney, London. She lived with her mother and eight brothers and sisters. Theresa has shared that even though her community was sometimes called "poor," it was actually "rich in joy." She believes that media often misrepresents poorer areas. She says these areas have lots of potential, and any problems are bigger societal issues.

When she was young, Theresa was inspired by authors like Malorie Blackman, Sister Souljah, and Eric Jerome Dickey.

Her Studies

Theresa went to Royal Holloway, University of London, where she earned a degree in psychology. Later, she got a master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Psychology from the University of Oxford. While studying, she also helped with projects. She worked on social inclusion and community engagement in prisons. This included leading creative workshops for people there.

From 2014 to 2019, she worked with an organization in London. This group helped young people avoid difficult situations. After 2019, she started writing full-time.

Career as a Writer

Starting as a Playwright

Theresa Ikoko began her career writing plays. Her first full-length play was called Normal. It was read aloud as part of a special series in 2014. She became widely recognized for her second play, Girls. This play won the Alfred Fagon Award in 2015. This award celebrates excellent playwrights from African or Caribbean backgrounds in the UK.

Girls was performed by several theatre companies in 2016. It then went on a tour in 2017, including shows at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Theresa has said that she had no formal training or experience when she started. She credits the Talawa Theatre Company for taking a chance on her.

Her play Girls also earned her a year-long playwriting fellowship. She also received the George Devine Award in 2016 for being a promising playwright. The play explores important topics like friendship and strength. A review in The Times newspaper called it "powerful."

Theresa gets inspiration from other playwrights like debbie tucker green and Dennis Kelly. She also looks up to author Chinua Achebe and artist Sister Souljah. Theresa wants her writing to make a difference. She hopes her stories can change the lives of young people and adults.

Her Plays

• The Race Card, 2013
• Normal, 2014
• Visiting Hours, 2014
• Girls, 2015

Writing for Movies and TV

In 2019, Theresa co-wrote the movie Rocks with Claire Wilson. The film is about a Black British teenage girl named Rocks. She lives in London and has to take care of her younger brother after their mother leaves. They try to avoid being taken into social services.

Rocks first showed at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. It was released in Britain in September 2020. The movie received great reviews. Theresa was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2021. The film itself was nominated for seven BAFTA awards. Bukky Bakray, the young actress who played Rocks, also won the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

In 2021, it was announced that Theresa would write a six-part TV show. This show is based on DJ Target's 2018 book Grime Kids. It tells the story of a group of teenagers in the early 2000s who dream of making music. The series was broadcast on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in 2023.

Awards and Recognition

Theresa Ikoko has received several awards for her writing:

• In 2015, she won the Alfred Fagon Award for her play Girls.
• In 2016, she won the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright for Girls.
• Also in 2016, she was a recipient of the Channel 4 Playwrights Scheme for Girls.
• In 2020, the film Rocks won the British Independent Film Award for Best British Independent Film. Theresa was also nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Debut Screenwriter for Rocks.
• In 2021, she was nominated for three British Academy Film Awards for Rocks: Best Original Screenplay, Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, and Outstanding British Film.

See also

In Spanish: Theresa Ikoko para niños