Pegasus Scholar Wahida Seisay Soars to the Stage
Fresh from her success at The Camden Fringe 2025, Wahida Seisay (Education Tripos, 2022) shares her experiences at Robinson and her exciting next steps…
Q. What were the benefits of taking the Education Tripos at Robinson?
Wahida: A key highlight was constantly being able to mould the course around my personal interests. It never felt too rigid or fixed and therefore I was able to discover more about things I was already interested in but through alternative lenses. An example of this was my recent coursework for our Play, Imagination and Creativity Paper. I was able to use my dance background to design a product which would test whether creativity could be enhanced and this helped me to further research the psychological and social aspects of dance which I had not previously studied. Being able to include my passions within my degree made the entire experience much more enjoyable and rewarding.
Q. What other opportunities were you able to explore?
Wahida: The main opportunities that I explored whilst at Cambridge were Directing within Cambridge Theatre and undertaking Access and Outreach work via the Cambridge University African-Caribbean Society (CUACS). Directing in Cambridge Theatre solidified my passion as an aspiring director and helped me build so many other skills (organisational, leadership) that I can use and apply in any future roles.
My role as Access Officer for the CUACS helped me to discover a passion for access and outreach. Being able to see the importance of representation in real time and speaking to students who I could genuinely relate to was so rewarding and fulfilling. I am certain that my passion for access is something that I want to continue building on in the future to help provide representation for those who lack it.
Q: How did you balance your roles as writer and director of your play, Symptom of Life?
Wahida: Symptom of Life was created as part of my second-year coursework. I’d always had an interest in writing but never saw it as the right time to begin so I used this assignment to force me out of that comfort zone and encourage me to get something written.
After writing the play, I realised that I wanted to take it further and incorporate my directing skills to bring it to life so I pitched it to the ADC and it was programmed at the Corpus Playroom. When writing, I knew I wanted to include my passions about philosophy and life's bigger questions as well as addressing the unique experiences of young, Black women.
Q: What impact did the Pegasus Scholars Programme have on your time at Robinson?
Wahida: The Pegasus Scholars Programme was very helpful, particularly from a social aspect. Being able to arrive at College early and make new friends was something I greatly appreciated, and its effect still shows today because some of my closest friends from College were also on the programme.
Coming to a place like Cambridge can be daunting both academically and socially but Pegasus was such a holistic programme that it helped me to feel more confident when the year officially began. Being able to deliver such an effective programme in just three weeks speaks volumes as to how well it was curated and delivered.
Q: Now that you have completed your studies at Robinson, what’s next for you?
Wahida: With support from Robinson’s Student Opportunities Fund, Symptom Of Life recently played at The Cockpit Theatre, as part of the Camden Fringe Festival 2025. Being able to show my play in my home city of London was a massive achievement for me and it will hopefully open doors to many more opportunities.
My goal is to continue to build my craft as a director, particularly for stage, and work on stories that are new and liberating for unrepresented voices. I also want to continue working on access and outreach initiatives within schools, showing students that creative careers are sustainable and achievable. I also want to continue to build my company, HerWorld.UK which is a multifaceted production company focused on the betterment and support of Black women within the creative industries.
Find out more about @HerWorld.UK on Instagram and LinkedIn.