Role: Advisory Board Member
Organisation: Emma and Dawn Collaborations
Position: Co-Director
Emma Tregidden initially worked in Theatre touring inter/nationally with institutions such as Glyndebourne, Opera North, Phoenix Dance Theatre and with Ashe Ensemble, a young people’s project promoting health, in Jamaica. Her passion for working with underrepresented communities was ignited though this work. Emma is one of two co-founders of Space2, an award winning, pioneering arts and social change organisation, based in inner East Leeds. Emma led the development of a distinctive participatory arts practice co-designed with local people whilst at Space2 and facilitated an extensive cultural programme across arts, digital and heritage practice. Projects were often health and wellbeing-related working with some of the most deprived communities in Leeds. Through Space2, Emma has a long history of partnership working with the University of Leeds including the SusNet project with artist collectives in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. She visited Mexico and Argentina and hosted organisations from both countries in Leeds in early 2023 as part of a final knowledge exchange. In 2023, Emma left Space2 after 20 years and co-founded Emma and Dawn Collaborations, offering creative, compassionate collaboration working with organisations such as Balbir Singh Dance Company, Gary Clarke Company, Universities of Leeds, Durham and Cumbria. Emma was recently awarded Honorary Professor of Practice at University of Cumbria.