Freddie Opoku-Addaie

Artistic Director and co-Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella

Monday, 28 April 2025 - International Festivals: Global Perspectives in Local Contexts

Freddie Opoku-Addaie is the Artistic Director and co-Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella (DU), London’s international dance festival. Prior to this role, he was an independent artist and served as DU’s Guest Programmer, curating Out of the System (2016–2019)—a platform that celebrated bold, boundary-pushing work by established and emerging artists from the UK and beyond.

With over two decades of experience as an independent artist, Freddie has toured and performed internationally, creating and presenting his own work and collaborating with acclaimed artists and companies. Born and raised in East London’s vibrant multicultural community and deeply connected to his Ghanaian heritage, his artistic practice is shaped by these dual influences. His work spans a wide range of scales and contexts, grounded in a commitment to cultural equity and expanding representation across the creative sector.

This commitment is exemplified by SystemsLAB, which Freddie founded in 2016 to foreground lived experience in 21st-century arts and cultural discourse. He is also a patron of StoneCrabs Theatre, a member of the Board of Advisors for Jorge Crecis’s Fullness, and a sought-after speaker and facilitator on international panels, lectures, and choreographic workshops. Through all of this, Freddie continues to engage across generations—sharing knowledge, championing dialogue, and supporting the next wave of artists and cultural thinkers.