ABOUT ME

Joy Nesbitt is a director, writer, and musician originally from Dallas, Texas. Joy is inspired by stories of Black Femininity and postcolonial imagination. She has been named on The Irish Times and Sunday Times' lists of "Ones to Watch in 2024." In 2022, Joy attended the Theatre Directing MFA at The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts. She is a 2021 recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts for the sum of her artistic activities at Harvard University. She has also been a member of two inaugural artistic mentor programs, including She Is The Music's Connect TogetHER program as a songwriting mentee as well as Black Theater United's BIPOC Early Career Theater-maker Program at The Williamstown Theater Festival 2021. Joy is a Director SEED for Rough Magic Theatre Company, a Writer under the mentorship of Enda Walsh for Theatre For One with Landmark Productions, and a member of the 2023 cohort of the Rachel Baptiste Programme at Smock Alley Theatre. Joy has directed and self-produced three short films, and has worked closely with Keeper Pitcures to direct two short films, one of which was featured in the Galway Film Fleadh 2024. 

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Throughout her life, Joy has been lucky to be mentored by greats like Esperanza Spalding, Stew, Vijay Iyer, Annabelle Comyn, and Schele Williams. Additionally, she was honored to be featured in Alicia Keys' Masterclass.com series on songwriting, where they workshopped her song, "Echo." 

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Joy has released two musical projects; has directed and music directed multiple full-length productions in Dublin, Ireland as well as Cambridge, MA, USA;  she has also written three full plays.

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