Kumiko Mendl

Kumiko Mendl graduated with a BA Hons in Education Studies and trained at the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School in Paris. Since then she has worked as an actor, teacher, director, producer and storyteller. She was one of the five founding members of New Earth Theatre (formerly Yellow Earth Theatre), the UK’s award-winning British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) Theatre company. She has performed and directed for the company and became the company’s Education and Outreach Associate in 2004. In 2011, she became Artistic Director of the company, steering it to become an Arts Council NPO in 2018, with a broad range of work, developing and producing new BESEA work and providing training and professional opportunities for BESEA artists. She has continued to freelance throughout her 30 years in theatre and acted at the Royal National Theatre, Northampton Royal, The Gate, Young Vic, Polka Theatre, Tara Arts, and LIFT, as well as run numerous outreach and participatory projects for Museums and Heritage organizations, schools, colleges and arts organizations.