About Karen Toftegaard
Karen Toftegaard is an award-winning cultural entrepreneur based in Copenhagen, Denmark. She specializes in creative processes, festival and industry development, and international collaborations. A published author on creativity, she also facilitates learning and cognition processes. Karen is passionate about bringing international work to new audiences and fostering global connections.
She is the founder and CEO of WILDTOPIA by Karen Toftegaard, which produces the award-winning #DANISH showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. From 2020 to 2023, the showcase was presented in collaboration with the Danish Arts Foundation. In 2024 and 2025, WILDTOPIA partners with the Embassy of Denmark in London, with support from the Danish Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During COVID, Karen launched the critically acclaimed Digital First Performing Arts Festival – RE:LOCATIONS and the SHINE YOUR WORK workshop for creatives. She spent seven years working in institutional theatre, including the founding years of Camp X and Republique. She also co-founded two major initiatives: AIRPLAY (an award-winning street gallery for digital and performing arts, 2006) and VILDSKUD (a festival for independent theatre, 2003).
From 2017 to 2024, Karen was Head of International Programming and Production at CPH STAGE, Denmark’s national performing arts festival. She played a key role in shaping its international strategy, helping establish the festival as one of Northern Europe’s top showcase and meeting platforms while strengthening its impact on Danish audiences.
Karen believes in sustainable entrepreneurship - maximizing the impact of invested energy, passing on platforms to new leaders who will continue to nurture and grow them, and empowering entrepreneurs to move forward, making a difference in new contexts where their ability to identify and solve challenges is needed.
She holds a Master of Arts in Modern Culture from Copenhagen University and Humboldt University (Berlin – Kulturwissenschaft). In Spring 2025, she will be an external lecturer at Copenhagen University. She is also a certified Shadow Facilitator and holds a certification in Future Leadership (Feminine Leadership).