Photo credit: Jon Holloway
Producer|Host|Actress
Being an artist means not having to avert one’s eyes.
– Akira Kurosawa
ACTRESS
“Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”
-Sanford Meisner
Tolu started her training at 12 at the Royal National Theatres' Young Theatre Company'.
Here she had the opportunity of performing at such prestigious theatres as The Young Vic, Old Vic studio and the Royal National Theatre.
After a break from acting at 18 she returned to training years later at Identity School of Drama gained representation from leading acting agency IAG management and has appeared in many stage and screen productions, including BBC's Enterprise, cast as one of the first Black Queen Margaret's in Shakespeare's Richard III at the Gatehouse and a multitude of short films.
PRODUCER
Tolu co-founded her award-winning production company Creative Lions Productions in 2018.
Tolu has produced five short films starring women and people of colour, including NUMBER 22 (The Pitch - shortlisted -2018), WARD M7 (SWN (Official Selection-2019), BABA (White Unicorn International Film Festival 2020 (Best Screenplay) and ANONYMOUS (Latitude Award winner-2019).
Tolu has produced viral music videos for YouTubes -LINK UP TV in 2020, reaching audience counts of 3.4 million views.
Tolu was a Development Producer at the Independent Film Trust and has been instrumental in championing diverse and underrepresented talent through professional mentoring schemes.
Tolu has a number of projects in development including: WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND (tv series) written by Racheal Flowerday (BBC Father Brown and Malory Towers) , actress and writer Michelle Bonnard and directed by Simon Curtis. Tolu is also in post production for BFI DOC SOCIETY commissioned short 'Medallion'.
Tolu Stedford is now producer and Co-founder of Story Compounds a creative film, TV and immersive media production company and consultancy developing a talent pipeline with an emphasis on the global majority including the intersections of disability, neurodiversity, gender and sexual orientation, plugging the skills gap for creative companies, and accelerating commission-ready IP to help UK film, TV and immersive media reach global audiences.
Photo credit: Jon Holloway
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Photo credit: Jon Holloway
HOST
“An event is not over until everyone stops talking about it”
– Mason Cooley
Tolu is a warm and charismatic host who prides herself in seeing everyone in the room and making them feel welcome, inspired and valued.
With her humour, honesty and humour, she gives every event a twist of spice and expertise of working in diversity and inclusion.
She pioneered the Power Talks and the Indie Film Fete Festival and hosted and been a panellist for the British Screen Forum, London Short Film Festival, Rich Mix and Counter Points Pop Culture.
As well as hosting the Creative Alliance Podcast and having thought articles in the British Cinematographer, Unknown Origins podcast, Into Film and Screen Daily.
She specialises in giving tangible advice, inspiration and encouragement to emerging talent from all sectors on self-branding and personal development.
