An Important Announcement from Luminato’s Artistic Director, Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell has decided that Luminato’s 2023 festival will be her final festival as our Artistic Director.

For over a decade, Naomi Campbell has been part of Luminato and this June will mark her fifth year as the Artistic Director. Luminato has always been a home for artists and works that push the boundaries of disciplines, genres, and even the concept of what constitutes a stage. Under Naomi’s leadership and vision, Luminato has pushed this further with numerous shows and events that drew our attention to the most significant conversations of our day.  

In 2023 Luminato will celebrate 17 years of art and creativity in Toronto and beyond. Although we’re sad to see Naomi’s tenure come to a close, we know that with change comes opportunity and we are excited to see what the future holds for Luminato.  

Mark your calendars for June 8-18th, 2023 as we come together to witness Naomi’s artistic leadership in her final season. Over the course of the next several months, we will be selecting her successor and look forward to welcoming them with open arms. 

After much consideration I’ve decided that the 2023 Luminato Festival will be my final one as Artistic Director. I’ve been with Luminato in a variety of roles for over 10 years, first as a freelancer and then as a full-time employee; I’ve been Artistic Director for over 4 years now and the 2023 festival will be my fifth in that role. It is time for me to move on, to make space for new projects in my life, and for someone else to lead the programming team at Luminato.

I’m very proud of the work I have done during my time at Luminato, and I’ve been very fortunate to work alongside so many talented and inspiring people; and it has been an immense privilege to work with hundreds of remarkable artists from Toronto, Canada and around the world.

We have a very exciting festival in development for 2023 and I will see that through, while welcoming a new Artistic Director; by announcing my news now it leaves plenty of time to identify that person and to make the best transition together.

The festival has been through many changes during the time I have worked here, and it would be untrue if I said it’s all been easy. Certainly, the last three years have been challenging in ways none of us could have anticipated, but there has also been a lot of learning, and we are better for that. I do believe that the potential for great work and great service grows every day at Luminato.

I’m not going to try and choose favourite festival projects or moments today. Suffice it to say I have had dozens of unforgettable experiences and hundreds of amazing encounters which I would never have had if not for this job. The months ahead will be filled with gratitude for my co-workers past and present, the board of directors, and all the artists I have been so very lucky to meet.

In the meantime, there is lots of work to prepare for the 2023 festival, and time to offer my thanks.

Thanks for reading,
Naomi Campbell
Artistic Director