ABOUT

A renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer from Manchester, Louise Wallwein has made a name for herself as an explosive artist that detonates her audiences’ imaginations.

Her plays have been broadcast by the BBC Radio Drama North, produced by theatre and production companies Red Ladder, National Theatre Wales, Z-Arts, Contact, Arena Theatre Melbourne HOME Push Festival, Domestic II Royal Exchange, Greenwich and Docklands Festival/ GET North 18/BBC One. Walk The Plank,Take Back Theatre, Manchester Camerata, Absolutely Cultured, Battersea Arts Centre

She has performed at many Festivals such as BBC Contains Strong Language, Hay Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Hull 17, Outburst Queer Arts Festival Belfast. Melbourne International Book Festival, The Hay Festival 2019.

Louise has appeared as a guest contributor on programmes such as Front Row, The Verb R3 R4 and Reform Radio.

Louise was Poet in Residence of Queensland, Australia 2006 and Writer in Residence at the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture, Winnipeg, Canada

Achievements include

GLUE, her acclaimed, theatre demolishing one-woman show will have a revival performance at the Off The Shelf Festival in 2019. Glue The Extended Remix is published by SmithDoorstop.

Louise was appointed as an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours 2018 for services to Spoken Word Music and outstanding achievement in the Community.

The Island, the Sea, The Volunteer and The Refugee a radio ballad directed by Susan Roberts was a BBC Pick of the Year 2016.

Fall a film made with young artists from HOME won Best Film at the BFI Awards 2015

Best Parade entry Manchester Pride 2018 Manchester Lesbians Stand by Our Trans

Winner Best Performance Manchester Culture Award 2019

for Hidden Manchester Camerata Dementia Voices

Louise has collaborated with many communities, artists, universities, Housing associations, libraries Councils to make poetry films theatre with young people around the UK, working as poet in Residence in many communities across the North Bolton at Home,Curious Minds, Cartwheel arts, 42nd Street, |The Royal Exchange UCLAN.. She loves this work, it is a core part of who she is and what she believes about the power of poetry to build bridges, communities and make excellent art co created with and for the people.

Louise was brought up in 13 different children’s homes and wrote her first play at the age of 17. Her career took off in 1998 when she performed an award winning one-woman show on the wing of a world war 2 Shackleton reconnaissance aircraft and her various experiences as a cleaner, club promoter and dancer at the Hacienda and activist for organisations such as anti clause 28 and Viraj Mendis defence campaign have undoubtedly shaped her.

the facts

- Louise Wallwein is a working class performer, poet, playwright and participation artist.
- Her current one-woman show GLUE is on tour, lifting the lid on her 15-year performance hiatus and her first collection of Poetry is published by SmithDoorstop.
- Her work has been part of a number of anthologies, with her published poem debut in Commonword with her poem, The Dropkick from God in 1997.
- Louise is in much demand as a writing tutor and mentor, and is an expert in creative engagement, - Louise believes in bridging the distance between a person and their own voice.working with all sorts of people and having conducted many short and long-term residencies since 1999.
- Louise has directed 13 short films, collaborated with animators and musicians on several projects and written four community plays.
- Among many writing residencies, Louise was the 2006 Poet in Residence in Queensland and Writer in Residence at the University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Canada.
- Louise's notable commissions include Tide whisperer for National Theatre Wales, The Island The Sea The Volunteer The Refugee A BBC R4 ballad, HOME MCR Glue R4 Dirty White Girl for BBC Radio 3. Great North Star BBC ONE HOME TOWN STORY Absolutely Cultured,Skid 180 Contact/Arena Theatre Melbourne

“Louise is a remarkable playwright, theatre-maker and collaborator with a distinctive voice and theatrical flare.”

— Sarah Frankcom, Artistic Director, Manchester Royal Exchange