Ewa Dina Announced As Winner Of The 2026 JMK Award

The Young Vic Theatre and JMK Trust have announced Ewa Dina as the recipient of the 2026 JMK Award, which offers early career directors the opportunity to direct a full-scale professional play. Ariana Xeno was selected as the runner up for this year's award and will receive career support from the Young Vic and the JMK Trust.

Ewa will direct a four-week run of Girls by Theresa Ikoko, featuring set and costume designs by Raphaé Memon, which will be presented in the Young Vic's Maria Studio this autumn, as part of the theatre's 2026/7 season. Further details of the Young Vic's forthcoming season will be announced on the 16th April.

Ewa Dina said, “I'm really grateful to the JMK Trust and the panel for this opportunity. I'm also thinking about the people who have shaped me, my family, who raised me to believe I could do anything I put my mind to, and the artists who came before me and made this path possible. I'm excited to share the work we're going to make, it's a story that's very close to my heart.”

Ewa is a Nigerian-born, Sheffield-raised, and London-based director, actor, facilitator, and poet. Since graduating from Rose Bruford, she has built a multidisciplinary practice across theatre and performance. Music and movement are central to her work, shaping how stories are told and experienced. She creates work that expands our understanding of ourselves, encourages discourse, and leads rooms with compassion, collaboration, and openness.

Recent credits include: The Welsh Dragon (Theatre lolo), Her Naked Skin (Rose Bruford), The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English (Bush Theatre), No More Mr Nice Guy (Original Director – R&D, Camden People's Theatre). 

Assistant & Associate credits include: Resident Assistant Director, Donmar Warehouse (2025–2026): Dealer's Choice (Matthew Dunster), Intimate Apparel (Lynette Linton), The Maids (Kip Williams), When We Are Married (Tim Sheader)

Resident Director: TINA: The Tina Turner Musical (2024–2025) Associate Director, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre: Every Leaf a Hallelujah (Chinonyerem Odima).

Ewa was selected from a shortlist of seven artists by a panel made up of  Emma Baggott (Co-chair, The JMK Trust), Derek Bond (Co-chair, The JMK Trust), Nadia Fall (Artistic Director and CEO of the Young Vic), Nathaniel Martello-White (actor and writer) and Natalie Pryce (designer). The shortlisted directors for the 2026 award were Jenny Davies, Robert Furey, Keiren Hamilton-Amos, Hana Pascal Keegan, Natalie Simone and Ariana Xeno.

Nadia Fall, Artistic Director and CEO of The Young Vic said: “What young directors need above all else is the opportunity to make work and meet their audience, however, these opportunities are sadly far too scarce. This is why the JMK Award is so vital to our industry. It's not through academic pursuit alone that early career directors build their craft and find their voice, it is through the act of doing, the act of making and presenting theatre. I'm thrilled to bring this prestigious award back to our theatre. The Young Vic has always been a home for visionary directors and Ewa is an extraordinary artist, whose ideas and approach set her apart. We can't wait to share her take on Theresa Ikoko's award-winning play with our audiences later this year.”

Emma Baggott and Derek Bond, Co-Chairs of the JMK Award said: “In a very strong field of over 250 applicants, Ewa shone through - her vision is so clear, moving and compelling, and she accompanies that vision with incredible skill and versatility when working with actors. Ewa is a huge talent, and we can't thank Nadia and the Young Vic enough for supporting her."

First established in 1997, the prestigious award was established in memory of the late, young theatre director James Menzies-Kitchin, to provide a vital platform and opportunity to champion the next generation of talented directors.

Over 250 theatre makers applied for this year's award. Prospective directors were invited to attend an interview to present their proposed visions for the production they wish to direct at the Young Vic. Each director was required to choose from one of the following plays: Attempts on Her Life by Martin Crimp, Girls by Theresa Ikoko, The Funeral Director by Iman Qureshi, Black Men  Walking by Testament or All The Little Lights by Jane Upton.

The JMK Award is open to directors aged 18-35, who have some professional training or  experience in the performing arts, but who have not directed more than three professional  productions. It has been pivotal in launching the careers of many young theatre makers with  previous winners including: Natalie Abrahami, Roy Alexander-Weise, Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu,  Polly Findlay, Adam Karim, Diane Page, Josh Roche, Mark Rosenblatt, Thea Sharrock, Bijan  Sheibani and Joe Hill-Gibbons.