Josette Bushell-Mingo

Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE (born 16 February 1964) is a Sweden-based English theatre actress and director of African descent, who was born in London and has been living and working in Sweden for many years. In February 2021, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama announced she had been appointed as the incoming Principal of the School. She is the first person of African descent, the first woman since 1942, and the third woman overall to hold this role. She has three sisters. At 17, she auditioned for and was admitted to Barking College, where she did her A levels in Drama, Theatre Design, and Performing Arts. She chose Kaboodle because "a black girl [was] in it as well". Both productions were directed by Braham Murray.

In 2001, she founded the Push Arts Festival with the Young Vic Theatre, an event that aims both to empower Black creators as well as to normalize their presence and leadership within major institutions within the theatre community and beyond. In 2010, she was one of several Afro-Swede actors to found TRYCK, a community for Black actors in Sweden.

In 2016, she wrote and performed Nina - A Story About Me and Nina Simone, a "deeply personal and often searing show inspired by the singer and activist Nina Simone, at the Unity Theatre. The show ran at the Young Vic Theatre in July 2017 before moving to the Traverse Theatre in August.

From 2005-2018, she was the Artistic Director for the National Touring Swedish Deaf Theatre ensemble TystTeater. The company's 2008 signed production of The Odyssey received huge critical acclaim in Scandinavia.

After leaving the National Touring Swedish Deaf Theatre, she became the Head of Acting at the Stockholm University of the Arts.

Bushell-Mingo has served as the Chairwoman for CinemAfrica and as a board member for the Swedish Film Institute, Women in Film and Television Sweden, and the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has also starred in the films Girls & Boys (dir. Ninja Thyberg, 2015); Flickan, mamman och demonerna (dir. Suzanne Osten, 2016).

Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards Best Actress Performance in From the Mississippi Delta (dir. Annie Castledine) Award shared with Joy Richardson and Pauline Black

Arts Council England deciBel Visual Arts Award Excellence in theatre

United Kingdom Officer of the Order of the British Empire Services to the theatre

Swedish Language Council Minority Language Award Promotion of Swedish sign language

Swedish National Association of the Deaf Minority Language Award Promotion of Swedish sign language

Performing Arts Inspiration Artist Excellence in theatre

Expressens Kulturpris Theatre Award Excellence in theatre

Sweden H. M. The King's Medal in gold of the 8th size worn on the chest suspended by the Order of the Seraphim ribbon Significant contributions in Swedish performing arts