Yvonne M.S. Weekes
About
Bio
Yvonne Weekes was born in London to Montserratian parents and grew up in both London and Montserrat. She is a Theatre Arts educator with over 40 years' experience. She is also an actor, award winning and published writer of prose, poetry and drama, aspiring film maker and stage director. She started her teaching career in London and moved to Montserrat in 1987 where she started the Rainbow Theatre Company. The group performed in Trinidad, Nevis, Montserat and St. Thomas. She was also Montserrat's first Director of Culture.
In 1996 she moved to Barbados after the volcanic eruption which forced many Montserratians to move. In Barbados she became the Coordinator of the Associate Degree in Theatre and was responsible for re-designing its curriculum. In 2014 she joined the University of the West Indies at the Cave Hill Campus as a lecturer in Theatre.
Writer
Yvonne first started writing in London. While teaching English to her students she was encouraged by one of her advisors to write. Her first work was published in Charting the Journey by Sheba Feminist Publishers. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Interviewing the Caribbean, Wadabagei, Dark Against the Sky and The Hole & Other Barbadian Poems and Short Stories to name just a few. Weekes was awarded first prize for her memoir Volcano by the Frank Collymore Literary Arts Endowment in 2004 which was later published by Peepal Tree Press in 2006. Her first play "Blue Soap" was published in a Caribbean anthology Emancipation Moments in 2010 and is currently on the CSEC Theatre Arts syllabus. Nomad her first collection of poems was published in 2019 by the House of Nehesi Publishers.
Actress
Yvonne has had the privilege of working with some of the region's leading directors including the following:
For Better For Worse written and directed by David Edgecombe
Desiree written by Norman de Palm and directed by Henk Tjon
This World Spin One Way written by D'Obrene O'Marde and directed by David Edgecombe
Stella and the Devil's Kiss written and directed by Patrick Foster
Stories Xchange written and directed by Thom Cross
Bathroom Graffiti written by Opal Palmer Adia and directed Sonia Williams
Education
Dr Yvonne Weekes started her teaching career in 1980 as an English and Drama teacher in North London having completed both a Certificate in Education as well as a B.A majoring in both English and Drama. She returned to further studies in 1983 at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London completing an Advanced Certificate in Voice and Speech in Drama Education. In 1987 she moved to her parents’ homeland of Montserrat where she taught English A and B CSEC as well as A Level English.
Dr Weekes also holds an MA in Educational Leadership from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Always committed to professional development she completed the Post-Graduate Diploma in Arts and Cultural Enterprise Management at the St. Augustine Campus in 2006 and later completed her PhD (Education) in 2016.
Employment
Drama Konnections is a business that has survived for several decades providing a balance among commissioned writings, performances, and teacher training. Arts Education is at the heart of the brand. For decades Drama Konnections has produced theatre performances based on HIV and AIDS education, Gender Based Violence, Health, and Poverty. Drama Konnections provides actor and voice training for children as well as adults. Recent commissioned work include a drama documentary When “Love” Goes Wrong on gender based violence and Volcano Baby exploring the impact of disasters on the lives of girls and women.