Birgitta Englin studied at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg. Soon after, she started acting at various theatres in Sweden. She has played several title roles, including Hebriana (L. Norén) and Miss Julie (A. Strindberg).

Between 1996 and 2004, Ms. Englin produced and directed several plays, including Fair Game (R. Pritchard), Belgrade Trilogy (B. Serbljanovic), Waiting for Godot (S. Beckett) and Elektra (Sophocles). Her aim with the Elektra project was to restore a heterogeneous audience and investigate how a diversity of perspectives would influence the artists and performance.

Another aim was to engage the community, particularly the youth in every aspect of the production process, from idea to final evaluation of the production. Throughout the production process and in connection with the performances, analysis of the play was made. Workshops and seminars examined the right of interpretation, construction of culture, tradition, identity and the problematization of the inclusion/exclusion discourse.

As a producer, Ms. Englin initiated a Nordic-Baltic co-production in 2002, which included the play The Long Long Journey (Wikland & Lagercrantz).
In 2004, Ms. Englin was elected Chairperson of the Performing Arts Equality Steering Committee in Sweden.  In June 2007 she was elected by the Swedish government to join the arts policy committee and to represent Sweden in the jury of the 2014 European Capital of Culture.

Since March 2005, Ms. Englin has been the Executive Director of Riksteatern, the national touring theatre in Sweden. Riksteatern is more than a theatre. It is a national movement driven by 40.000 members with the vision to create mental juxtapositions in order to set thoughts and emotions into motion.

Ms. Englin has been awarded the Grand Swedish Theatre Critics Award, the Svenska Dagbladet Thalia Award, the Expressen Theatre Award and Swedish Radio P4:s Arts Award.