Paula Simms
Liverpool Screen School
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: P.M.Simms@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 6576
Paula is an Award winning actress and freelance professional Director working nationally and Internationally; Portugal, Zambia, Germany. She is also founder member and Artistic Director of Zho Visual Theatre. Zho Visual Theatre was formed in 2004 and won acclaim working with the Liverpool Lantern Company to create the first Liverpool Lantern Carnival in Sefton Park Liverpool.
In 2008 the company were awarded a prestigious commission by the Liverpool Culture Company to produce The Quiet Little Englishman a site specific piece at The Park Palace Cinema for the City Of Culture Celebrations. The company also created a sound installation for the production and a dance film. The same year the company created a community film funded be the National Lottery celebrating the cultural life of this Historic building.
In 2013 Paula was one of two directors working alongside Frank Cottrell Boyce for Walk The Plank to create the award winning event The Return Of Colmcille for the City Of Derry year of culture celebrations.
Paula co-produced and performed in the Film Big Society The Musical a hard hitting film about the austerity cuts in Great Britain. The film was produced by First Take and opened the prestigious Labour Film Festival in Covent Garden in 2014.
Paula is also Artistic Director for The Zebu tall ship based at the Albert Dock and works regularly with Susan Hanley Place director of Mersey Heritage Trust to produce Theatre of The Sea on the Albert Dock. Previous productions have been created for The Liverpool Irish Festival and The River Festival
Paula is currently directing two new pieces of Theatre, The Clockwork Heart for The Unity Theatre Liverpool, and Home; collaboration with AnNua productions a multimedia company based in Derry. This production has been co funded by The British Council and is supported by Sydney University.
In 2014 Paula was invited to the Culturetech Festival in Derry to give a presentation about her work.
Academic appointments
Mentor, Drama, LIPA, 2015 - 2015
Highlighted activities
Other Professional Activity:
Produced and performed in Big Society the Musical for First Take Film Co. This film was a musical examining the impact of Tory measures on the British Public. It won an award and opened the Labour Film Festival in London 2014.
Professional activities
Other Professional Activity:
Performed and 1st Assistant AD Film 1 IN 200. 2022
Co directed performance street installations for The Return Of Colmcille written by Frank Cottrell Boyce for the Derry City of Culture Celebrations . This three day event played to an audience of 40,000 people and won a prestigious Best Outdoor Event 2014 for The Company Walk The Plank.
Co Directed Making It Happen Writer Dr Andrew Sherlock at the Echo Arena . Collaboration LJMU/UNI GLOBAL/ EVERYMAN June 1th 2018.
Directed On Cloud 79 A new theatrical production exploring the affects of dementia. Hope St Theatre/ Slaughterhouse Liverpool.
Directing a production for Burscoe Community farm ( Eater Project) Sowing the Seeds for Walk The Plank .Working from the devising method with students from Edge Hill University and LJMU students. 2017.
Director My Clockwork Heart at the Unity Theatre Liverpool. 2015. This was the life story of Trenchant The Miraculous Mechanical, a story about personal freedom told through music and sound design..
Produced and performed in Big Society the Musical for First Take Film Co. This film was a musical examining the impact of Tory measures on the British Public. It won an award and opened the Labour Film Festival in London 2014.
Recent performance (actress) BBC production Doctors 7th March 2018.
External collaboration:
ESMAE Escola Superior de enfermagem do Porto, Claire Binyon. 2018
An Nua, Paul Moore. 2014
Membership of professional bodies:
Co Producer, First Take Video Productions. 2011
Artistic Director, Mersey Heritage Trust. 2010