The story behind the name: Based on Kimberly.

By Kimberly

Choosing a company name feels a bit like naming a kid. It’s more than just words—it sets the tone, sparks curiosity, and hints at what’s behind it. So, why “Based on Kimberly”?

For almost a year, we searched for the right name. We made endless lists, threw around all kinds of ideas, but nothing ever felt quite right. Everything either felt too obvious—or like it was trying too hard. Then, one July afternoon, we sat down with a blank page and started writing down anything that made us laugh—random thoughts, inside jokes, things that just felt like us. Vejde joined us that day, and we played our classic timed writing game—writing freely, then passing the paper to the person on our right. They bounced off that paper until we had plenty of new and random thought trains that chugged organically into the void! Somewhere in that mix, "Based on Kimberly" appeared. We also laughed a lot that day about Kimberly Circus and The Sun Damaged…

Side note! There might’ve been a subconscious influence: earlier that year, Inka named her son’s teddy “Kimberly.” Imo thought this was particularly hilarious. "What a random choice; it’s such an English name, and one that for some reason is kinda funny—tacky yet grand all in one!" Perfect combo, she thought!

So ‘Based on Kimberly’ jumped from the page and made sense in a way we couldn’t quite explain. The whole idea of the company being based on someone we don’t even know, like finding that thing to believe in or person to look up to. Kinda strangely cult-y, and as Kimberly is imaginary, they can be everything we hope them to be! Perfectly wild and messy! Maybe a person, maybe not. Perhaps just an idea, a presence, the invisible hand pushing us toward the unexpected. Maybe a role model reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously. She can be anyone, or no one, and that’s the beauty of it. The name made us laugh and felt so right because it had just the right mix of randomness and meaning.

In circus, "basing" is the term for the person holding another in hand-to-hand acrobatics. To be a base is to be a porter. But to be based on someone? That’s something else entirely. The name happened in the way circus often does—somewhere between chaos and instinct. It started as a joke, a placeholder, a twist on the idea that all art is "based on something." And then, it became something real.

Side note: After realising this needed to be the name, and truly we don’t care what anyone else thinks about it as we just feel so gut-sure, we looked up "Kimberly." Magic appeared: It’s a unisex given name of Old English origin. What a pleasant surprise, as we’d only known of female-identifying Kimberlies before. So much better that it includes us all! The name of Lord Kimberley’s title is derived from Kimberley, in Norfolk, England. Imogen’s fricking home county…! How oddly serendipitous. This place name is derived from two Old English elements: the first is the feminine personal name Cyneburg, which means "royal fortress," and the second element is lēah, which means "woodland" or "clearing." The place name roughly means: the "woodland clearing of the royal fortress." 

We hope that Kimberly keeps us open, flexible—in mind and body—and ready for anything. Reminding us we don’t have to follow a straight line. We can create stage shows, books, and exhibitions without being boxed into one thing.

So, is our work actually "based on Kimberly"?
Definitely.
And not at all.
And maybe.
And that’s exactly the way we like it.