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The JMK Trust provides talented young directors with awards, guidance and development opportunities

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JMK Award winner 2023

April 21, 2023 by Rowan Riley

We were delighted that the winner of the JMK Award 2023 was Kalungi Ssebandeke with his production of Meetings by Mustapha Matura, presented in partnership with the Orange Tree Theatre. Kalungi and worked with designer Olivia Jamieson on the production.

The production formed part of Artistic Director Tom Littler’s inaugural season at the venue this Autumn.

As a director, Kalungi’s credits include: Attempts on Her Life by Martin Crimp for the newly formed drama school Bristol School of Acting founded by Stuart Wood with co-artistic director Nancy Medina the incoming Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Prior to that, he worked as Director in Residence at Tonbridge School, a leading Independent School whilst also directing NT Connections play Remote by Stef Smith for White City Youth Theatre at Lyric Hammersmith.

As a writer, his debut play Assata Taught Me premiered at The Gate Theatre in 2017 starring Adjoa Andoh and Kenneth Omole directed by BAFTA Nominated Artistic Director of The Bush Theatre Lynette Linton. Kalungi has also written Prodigal a short play for The Orange Tree’s INSIDE/OUTSIDE series. Both plays are published by Bloomsbury and Nick Hern Books respectively. And Kalungi’s acting credits include Columbite Tantalite directed by Oscar Nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dr Who for BBC, Offie nominated role in Blood Knot directed by Matthew Xia at The Orange Tree and most recently playing Othello in the critically acclaimed production of Othello at The Watermill Theatre.

“Winning the JMK is one of the major highlights of my creative career. Meetings by Mustapha Matura is such a funny, and deliciously thought-provoking play and I can’t wait for audiences to get another taste of Mustapha’s writing. Getting the chance to return to the Orange Tree, this time as a director rather than performer, is a dream come true.

“Thank you to the JMK team for giving me this wonderful life changing opportunity and to everyone that has helped my directing journey take shape.” – Kalungi Ssebandeke

Meetings, ran at the Orange Tree in Oct/Nov 2023, and received rave reviews:

“Every aspect of Meetings benefits from director Kalungi Ssebandeke’s ingenuity… Meetings earns its status as one of the best plays to see in 2023.” ***** TheatreLondon1

“Kalungi Ssebandeke, winner of the 2023 JMK Young Director Award, gives the piece a confident, stylish staging…”  **** The Stage

“…a totally engaging production, in a directorial debut by Kalungi Ssebandeke …he has a finely tuned ear for the nuanced musicality of the dialogue, which the cast rise to with knockabout energy, and has drawn engagingly physical performances from them too. A name to watch.”  **** ArtsDesk

“Directed with supple energy by actor Kalungi Ssebandeke in his directorial debut, this is sunshine and moonlight, rum and ritual, and a critique of colonial legacy all wrapped up in one big-hearted and ultimately explosive package.”   **** Express

You can read more about our finalists for this year’s award, here.
The JMK Award has been made possible by the Martin Bowley Charitable Trust, the Katie Bradford Arts Trust, the Patricia Routledge Foundation, the Fidelio Charitable Trust, the Orange Tree Theatre and all our individual donors.

Filed Under: News

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Alumni

Adam Karim Kalungi Ssebandeke Diane Page Tristian Fynn-Aiduenu Winner 2017 - Josh Roche Winner 2016 - Roy Alexander Weise Winner 2015 - Liz Stevenson Kate Hewitt - winner 2014 Winner 2013 - Alex Brown Winner 2012 - Sam Pritchard Winner 2011 - Cathal Cleary Winner 2010 - Matthew Evans Winner 2009 - Caroline Steinbeis Winner 2008 - Michael Oakley Winner 2007 - Polly Findlay Winner 2006 - Jamie Harper Winner 2005 - Natalie Abrahami Winner 2004 - Anne Tipton Winner 2003 - Bijan Sheibani Winner 2002 - Joe Hill Gibbins Winner 2001 - Orla O'Loughlin Winner 2000 - Thea Sharrock Winner 1999 - Mark Rosenblatt Winner 1998 - Tassos Stevens

Click here to view all JMK alumni »

Patrons: Dame Judi Dench, Baroness Howe, Sir Ian McKellen, Clare Menzies-Kitchin MBE and Tom Morris OBE (Founding Chair).  

The JMK Trust is kindly supported by The Martin Bowley Charitable Trust, Arts Council England, The Katie Bradford Arts Trust, The Cockayne Foundation, The London Community Foundation, The Leche Trust, Scops Arts Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, The Victoria Wood Foundation, The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust, The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund, The Patricia Routledge Foundation, The Hollick Family Foundation and all our individual donors.

Registered address: Talton Farm Cottage, Newbold on Stour, Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8UB.

Registered Charity: No. 295080

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      • JMK Birmingham
      • JMK Bristol
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  • Support us
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    • JMK Gift Membership & Awards Circle
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    • Thanks to our supporters
  • Blog
  • More information
    • Learn about directing
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