Josette Bushell-Mingo appointed Central’s first female principal since 1942
Harriet Clifford
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Award-winning actor and director Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE has been appointed principal of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, describing the arts as a ‘vital human right’.
Urban Jörén/ Urban Picture AB
Bushell-Mingo will be the first person of African descent in the role, as well as the first woman to be appointed to the role since 1942 and the third woman appointed principal in the School’s history.
Her 40-year career has seen Bushell-Mingo perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and the Manchester Royal Exchange, and she is currently the head of Acting at Stockholm University of the Arts, Sweden.
She was the founding artistic director of PUSH, a Black-led theatre festival with the Young Vic Theatre, for which she was awarded an OBE for services to the arts, a Judy Cramer Award for Innovation, and the Southbank Cultural Diversity Award.
Bushell-Mingo also spent 13 years in the role of artistic director for The National Touring Swedish Deaf Theatre ensemble Tyst Teater, where she championed sign language arts and the artistic, linguistic and cultural rights of the deaf.
As an actor she was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Rafiki in The Lion King, and devised and starred in the production of Nina: A story about Nina Simone and Me.
Her career has also included serving on a number of boards, and teaching and lecturing in sign language theatre and cultural diversity and inclusion.
Josette Bushell-Mingo said: ‘I am deeply honoured to have been appointed to the role of principal and I look forward to working together with students, staff and Governors and taking Central forward: to celebrating Central’s talent and teaching, inspiring the future of the arts, being at the cutting edge of change - even in these complicated and special times - and to lifting the arts, for all of us, as a vital human right.’
John Willis, chair of Central’s Board of Governors, said: ‘We are thrilled that Josette is joining us as Principal. Her creativity, dynamism and passion for the arts shine brightly. She is a born leader and will add another layer of talent to the brilliant people already at Central.
‘With Josette in post, Central will be turbo-charged for the next stage of its development. Over a hundred years after one inspirational woman, Elsie Fogerty, started Central, it will be brilliant to finally have a second inspiring woman to lead us next.’
The second female principal was Gwynneth Thurburn, who held the role from 1942 until 1967.
