Selina Thompson

Selina is an artist, performer and writer, described as ‘a force of nature’ (The Stage), whose work is intimate, political and participatory, with a strong emphasis on public engagement. She creates provocative and highly visual work that seeks to connect with those historically excluded by the arts, and can be found across theatre, publishing, radio and soon, screen.

Previous work has been focused on the politics of marginalisation, and how this comes to define our bodies, relationships and environments. This has seen her build dresses out of cake, construct giant ‘tumbleweaves’ out of hair pieces, create an installation of 1000 questions about race, and retrace a route of the Transatlantic Slave Triangle.

Her award winning work has toured internationally: Fusebox Festival (Texas), Under the Radar (New York), Push Festival (Vancouver), MTSIP (Sao Paulo), FIND (Berlin), the Dublin International Dance Festival and Next Wave Festival (Melbourne).

Her work is beginning to extend to broadcasting, with her original writing having featured on BBC Radio 4 (The Last Flag, 2018, and Craft Work, 2019). Her most recent theatre show, the multi award winning ‘salt.’ is currently being adapted for screen, after receiving stellar acclaim (including 5 star reviews in The Times and WhatsOnStage) and sold out shows at The Royal Court in London and The Public Theater in New York.

Thompson is currently working on her first novel, and is under commission to the RSC, National Theatre Scotland and National Theatre Studio for new plays. She speaks on panels, mentors other artists, and has contributed to numerous anthologies, including ‘Can We All Be Feminists’ (2019) and the upcoming follow up to Slay In your Lane (2019), Loud Black Girls (2020).

She is an associate artist at the Birmingham Rep.