Lina Johansson stepping down as Mimbre’s Joint Artistic Director

15 Oct Lina Johansson stepping down as Mimbre’s Joint Artistic Director

At the end of this year Lina Johansson is stepping down as Mimbre’s Joint Artistic Director.

After 26 successful years with the company she co-founded, Mimbre is proud to celebrate the incredible journey and contributions of Lina Johansson, as she prepares to take a step back as Joint Artistic Director to focus on other ventures. She will stay on as Artistic Consultant, but leave the running and direction of the company in the strong hands of her co-founding Artistic Director Silvia Fratelli, Executive Director Lissy Lovett, the Board of Trustees, and of course, Mimbre’s amazing team of performers and creative collaborators!  

As part of this transition, Mimbre are thrilled to announce a new Youth Programme Manager, Carys Williams, who joins us with an impressive track record of youth engagement with companies such as Speech Bubbles and Lewisham Youth Theatre. Additionally following our successful pilot project in the spring and summer, two new Associate Director positions with the company will be announced later this year. 

During her time with the company, Lina has made enormous contributions to the UK circus and outdoor sectors. She was an early trailblazer as an acrobatic female base, directed some of Mimbre’s most successful productions like Bench, Lifted and The Exploded Circus and further developed the reputation of Mimbre through exciting cross-artform collaborations with companies like Dior, the Royal Shakespeare Company and BBC Arts. Her work with Mimbre has been seen by hundreds of thousands of audience members nationally and internationally. She also established Mimbre Youth in 2008, and helped build it into the community-centered, inclusive and celebratory programme it is today. She has always cared deeply about providing support, training and mentoring for female and non-binary performers, so they can push through ceilings and reach for the sky. 

Lina says:

“I am proud beyond words of everything we have achieved with Mimbre so far! The shows we made, the audiences we reached, and the people. The people! In my wildest imagination I could not have wished for a better bunch of people to be surrounded by and to work with. So many amazing artists, creatives and humans, always bringing so much to the table and from whom I have learned so much. 

” But after 26 years with Mimbre I need to take a step back from the Joint Artistic Director role to follow some other interests and just to shake things up a bit for myself! This is not a full goodbye, I will always be connected with Mimbre, in heart and soul, but also in body when needed as an Artistic Consultant. I’ll just be travelling on a parallel road..! I leave it in the best hands that I ever could, with Silvia, Lissy, the board and our amazing performers. By taking a step back I am excited to create space for new ideas, people and dreams to grow and to see Mimbre keep flourishing!”

Silvia says:

“It’s a joy to reflect on the incredible path Lina and I have walked together, building Mimbre from a dream into what it is today. We’ve shared such a long journey — from the early days of imagining shows to shaping Mimbre into a strong and established company. I will miss her presence, creativity, humour and companionship. At the same time I’m excited to carry forward everything we’ve built together over so many years, alongside the amazing artists and collaborators we’ve worked with, who will help us grow into the next chapter of Mimbre’s journey!”

The Co-Chairs of Mimbre’s Board of Trustees, Alice Wordsworth and Jessica Mai Sims say:

“On behalf of the Board, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Lina for her visionary leadership and countless contributions to Mimbre. As she steps back from her role as Joint Artistic Director, we recognise the lasting impact she has had on Mimbre’s artistic legacy and the community that surrounds it. We fully support her decision and wish her all the very best in this next chapter.

“While this marks a transition, it is also a moment of excitement. Mimbre’s future remains in safe and inspiring hands, with a dedicated team committed to carrying forward the company’s spirit of collaboration and excellence. We look forward to the next chapter, building on the strong foundation that Lina helped create.”

We have gathered a few images here to celebrate Lina’s time with Mimbre. (Credits: Isabelle Grosse, HeardinLondon, Lorenzo Sbrenna / Lollerollo, Eric Richmond, Nick Gurney, Karol Wyszynski, Hayley Madden.) What’s your favourite Lina moment?