Jessica Nupen

Jessica Nupen is a dancer, choreographer and director based in Hamburg. Born in Johannesburg to anti-apartheid activist parents, Nupen’s work is heavily inspired by her South African background and she has been named one of the top 100 most influential Africans in Germany. Her work incorporates contemporary dance-theatre practices with pertinent political themes, expressed in striking creations and has received recognition through celebrated tours of Europe, the US and Southern Africa, ably supported by artists including William Kentridge, Spoek Mathambo, Jürgen Schadeberg, Denis Goldberg, Dan Halter, Josh ‘Socalled’ Dolgin, Milo Pablo Momm, Peter Konwitschny, Leila El-Kayem and Jane Taylor. Her pieces have been performed on major stages in Germany and received features in publications and organisations such as CNN Inside Africa, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Business Day, and Forbes Woman Africa. Jessica’s work has received funding from all the major cultural ministries and foundations in Germany including the Federal Fund for Culture and German Foreign Office.