Jess enjoys enabling others to formulate their ideas and realise their goals. Drawing on her knowledge and experience of a wide variety of roles in education, creative practice, performing and producing, Jess is able to centre the needs of particular individuals and projects to support their progress.
Consultant and Tap Jam Producer - Tap Dance Festival UK
“Jess has been an integral part of TDFUK since it’s inception in 2016. She was an invaluable source of inspiration to us when we were conceptualizing the event. She consulted on the overall program design and led the way on producing and project managed and hosted the highly successful ‘Jam Session’ as part of TDFUK. In addition to this she has taught and facilitated workshops that have created a bridge for many of our participants to approach improvisation and navigate the world of Jamming for the first time. I have really leaned on and learned from Jess over the years, and she has always been fully committed and very reliable to the cause. She has been a valuable mentor, colleague and friend. .”
— Suzanne Clandon, Festival Producer
Mentor - Tap In To
This project led by Annie Woodhouse explores the way that movement, rhythm and storytelling can combine to enhance engagement of cared-for people, some with dementia, and their families. I supported Annie in exploring the links between her tap dance practice and expertise in inclusive dance to devise participatory workshops & an inclusive ‘rhythm toolkit’ to trial during sessions with Care home residents and Dementia groups in her local community.
“Jess worked with me to create a ‘rhythm toolkit’ so that I could have practical manageable methodology for working with rhythms with client groups I was working with. My client groups were people living with dementia and so inclusivity was really important. Jess was able to help me take some of the more traditional methods that might used in a tap dance setting and abstract them so that they were ready to be used in any setting. Jess was able to look objectively at what I was trying to achieve and create environments that allowed me to work out what those things were and how best I could approach them. Jess is astute and has a clarity on some of the things that I plan to learn about understand, and had a clear perspective of the best way that she could support. I wouldn’t have chosen anybody else to mentor me, or work with me on a consultancy level for this project. Jess was exactly the right person for my project and I hope to continue to develop this relationship in the future .”
— Annie Woodhouse, Lead Artist
Industry Placement Mentor - Madeline Gidelow
Through Tap Rhythm Project, I supported Maddie Gidelow to undertake an Industry Placement as part of her BA Dance Studies at Dance City, Newcastle. Maddie and I worked together to design a 3 month placement that included shadowing teaching practice, developing her own choreographic material for her final project solo performance, and learning about producing and delivering public participatory performance events through assisting with the Tap Rhythm Jam.
Tap Specialist Consultant - Tappin In
I worked with lead artist Stephanie Ridings and the creative team to Research and Develop the idea of an ambitious large-scale community project that would lead to a community performance, film premiere and mass movement outdoor performance featuring a community cast of 100+ people in Birmingham City Centre.
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