Theresa Ikoko facts for kids

Theresa Ikoko is a talented British writer. She writes plays for the stage and screenplays for films and TV shows. Theresa is of Nigerian background.

She became well known for her play called Girls. This play tells the story of three young girls who are taken by terrorists in northern Nigeria. Girls won the Alfred Fagon Award and other prizes.

Later, in 2019, Theresa gained more fame. She helped write the movie Rocks with Claire Wilson. This film is about growing up. For Rocks, Theresa was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2021. This was for Best Original Screenplay.

Early Life and Education

Theresa Ikoko grew up in London, in an area called Hackney. She lived with her mother and eight brothers and sisters. Theresa has said that people often called her community "poor." She believes that the media sometimes shows poorer areas unfairly. They focus on problems instead of seeing the good things and potential.

Theresa says that "poverty isn't all about suffering." She describes her childhood as "rich in joy." When she was young, she loved reading books by authors like Malorie Blackman and Sister Souljah.

Theresa went to Royal Holloway, University of London. She earned a degree in psychology there. Later, she studied at the University of Oxford. She got a master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Psychology. While at Royal Holloway, she helped write an article about how women from different backgrounds talk to each other.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Theresa worked with people in prisons. She helped them with creative workshops like acting and art. From 2014 to 2019, she also worked with an organization in London called Islington Integrated Gangs. This group helps young people avoid gang violence.

Career

Becoming a Playwright

Theresa Ikoko started her writing journey by writing plays. Her first full-length play was called Normal. It was read aloud as part of a special series in 2014.

She became much more recognized for her second play, Girls. This play won the Alfred Fagon Award in 2015. This award celebrates great 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 shared that Girls was her first play to be professionally performed. She said that Talawa Theatre Company and its artistic director, Michael Buffong, took a chance on her. She had no formal training or experience, but Michael believed in her.

Theresa was also one of five winners of the Channel 4 Playwrights Scheme for Girls. This gave her a year-long writing fellowship. She also received the George Devine Award in 2016 for being a promising playwright.

The play Girls talks about important issues. These include kidnapping, friendship, and how strong people can be. A newspaper called The Times described the play as "powerful."

Theresa gets ideas from other playwrights like debbie tucker green. She also looks up to author Chinua Achebe and artist Sister Souljah. Theresa has said that she wants her writing to make a difference in people's lives. She hopes it can inspire teenagers, university students, and even adults in prison.

Plays

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

Writing for Film and TV

In 2019, Theresa Ikoko worked with Claire Wilson to write the movie Rocks. This film was directed by Sarah Gavron. Rocks is a story about a Black British teenage girl named Bukky Bakray. She lives in London, and her single mother leaves her and her younger brother. They try to avoid being taken into social services.

The movie first showed at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. It was released in Britain in September 2020. Critics loved the film. Theresa was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2021. Rocks was nominated for seven BAFTA awards. Bukky Bakray, the main actress, also won the BAFTA Rising Star Award. She was the youngest person to win this award.

In 2021, it was announced that Theresa would write a TV show. It will be a six-part series based on DJ Target's book Grime Kids. The show is about a group of young teenagers in the early 2000s. They dream of making their voices heard through music. Filming happened in East London. The series is expected to be shown on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Theresa Ikoko para niños