Vigdis Jakobsdottir is an Icelandic theatre director and has been Artistic Director and CEO of Reykjavik Arts Festival, the leading multi-arts festival in Iceland, since 2016. www.artfest.is
Vigdis is passionate about the ability of the arts to challenge conceptions, shape society and celebrate humanity. She feels strongly that access to the arts should not be reserved for the privileged few but should be accessible to all. Throughout her practice as theatre director, educator and festival director she continuously explores ways to reach out to an ever broader audience demographic through meaningful artistic exchanges.
Before taking on the leadership of Reykjavik Arts Festival Vigdis directed performances at the National Theatre of Iceland and with numerous independent theatre companies. She was Head of Education at the National Theatre from 2002-2011 and adjunct and later programme director for MA studies in Theatre Education at the Iceland Academy of the Arts from 2002-2016. She is the founder of Þjóðleikur – The National Youth Theatre festival in Iceland which she led from 2008-2017 and UNGI -an international performing arts festival for young audiences in Reykjavík, (artistic director from 2013-2016).
