Poet, playwright, activist and cultural polymath, Carol Leeming MBE FRSA, is celebrating after receiving an honorary doctorate from Loughborough University, recognising her formidable contribution to British arts and her lifelong commitment to equity, education and community empowerment.

Leicester-born Leeming has long been regarded as a singular figure in the UK’s cultural and creative landscape – a poet, playwright, choreopoet, singer-songwriter, director, and curator whose career spans over four decades. She is known for her dynamic fusion of disciplines, powerful stage presence, and unwavering commitment to social equity.

Leeming has carved a unique space in the UK’s cultural life. Her choreopoetry plays are now held in the National Theatre’s Black Plays Archive and her music has reached global audiences via major labels like Sony and Warner Bros. Her local work in Leicester – from founding arts initiatives to directing major stage productions – has made her a central force in the region’s creative ecosystem.

Leeming’s relationship with Loughborough University is longstanding. She has delivered keynote lectures during Black History Month, headlined the university’s spoken word series Speech Bubble, and directed work such as Harley: Scholar & Statesman. Her influence is felt not just in performance spaces but in classrooms, archives, and grassroots communities.

Carol Leeming MBE FRSA said: “It is an incredible honour to receive this recognition from Loughborough University — a space where I’ve felt welcomed, respected and valued as both an artist and cultural thinker. This doctorate is not just a personal milestone, but a tribute to the many communities, collaborators, and cultural workers who’ve supported my journey.”

“As someone born and raised in Leicester to African Caribbean parents, my life and work are rooted in the lived experiences of my community — our beauty, our struggles, our innovation. Whether composing music, performing poetry, directing theatre, or working in heritage and education, my focus has always been to centre the voices too often left unheard, and to create space for bold, authentic expression.”

“I hope this recognition encourages emerging artists — especially those from the Global Majority, LGBTQ+, working-class, and disabled communities — to know that their stories matter, and that they too can shape culture, policy, and public life.”

Leeming was awarded an MBE in 2019 for services to the arts in Leicester and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She currently serves as a National Ambassador for Black Lives in Music, where she advocates for racial and gender equity across the UK music industry.

She is also the founder of Dare to Diva, a Leicester-based arts company, and has held roles as Dramaturg Writer/Director with London’s Playground and Assistant Resident Director at Curve Theatre. Her credits range from vocal coach and literary adviser on major stage productions (West Side Story, My Beautiful Laundrette, Memoirs of an Asian Casual), to leading performer in Sound Clash, a 2025 Black music theatre work by Levi Roots and Ray Shell.

As a recording artist, she has toured internationally, with her track For What You Dream Of (with Bedrock) featured on the Trainspotting soundtrack. Her band, The Random Acts of Senseless Beauty, blends soul, reggae and psychedelic funk in high-energy live performances.

Leeming is also a long-time educator, delivering guest lectures on Choreopoetry, Africology and Black British history at institutions including Queen Mary University of London, Nottingham Trent, and the University of Leicester.

Her creative practice is deeply rooted in activism. In the wake of the 1981 Leicester uprisings, she helped found Ajani Women’s & Girls Centre, Leicester Black Sisters, and the Highfields & Belgrave Law Centre. She was instrumental in forming the city council’s race and gender equality units, and has led oral history and heritage projects preserving African Caribbean narratives in the Midlands.

As curator, Leeming has delivered work for the Haymarket Theatre, Phoenix Cinema and Leicester Museums. She chaired the Leicester Black History Consortium and led multi-month Black History Seasons for the city. She co-founded the long-running poetry platform Pinggg…K!and has curated for Festival 2Funky for more than a decade.

Loughborough University’s honorary degree is the latest in a lifetime of accolades – and a formal recognition of a career that has spanned continents while staying rooted in community, resistance and radical imagination.