About me……
Facilitator, coach, mentor, director, choral leader, singer, songwriter and voice coach, Em works with professionals, amateurs, workplace teams, organisations and groups of all ages and abilities with voice, performance, presence and communication.
A reflective practitioner, her quest is to change people’s lives for the better through creative activity and / or conversation. With many years mentoring experience, she has a Diploma in Coaching from Oasis School of Human Relations, accredited by the Association for Coaching.
As Associate Director with The Map Consortium, Em facilitates professional learning development often, but not exclusively, with a focus on presence, communication and women’s leadership.
Em studied Drama at Hull University, trained at the UK’s first circus school, Fool Time in Bristol, and worked as a clown. She has sung jazz, blues, close harmony and founded three choirs. Specialising in large-scale performance, Em was choral director for 509 Arts productions Calderland [Royal Philharmonic Society Award 2017] and The Batley Variations; she co-directed punk-pop circus opera Back to Bransholme for Back to Ours in 2018 and as the first conductor of Hull Freedom Chorus, a massed site-specific choral project produced by Hull City Arts Development, she led numerous projects at Freedom Festival (see link below) also Hull Jazz and 2017 City of Culture. The founder director of Ryedale Festival Community Opera, Em was for five years Artistic Director at Helmsley Arts Centre.
Em has taught, led projects and trained leaders for Sage Gateshead, Opera North, Whitby Musicport, Leeds Playhouse, Stephen Joseph Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Leeds Conservatoire, University of York, York St John’s University, Sing Up, Youth Music and numerous choirs and conferences across the UK and beyond.
A student for ten years of the late Zen Buddhist master John Garrie Roshi, Em has a meditation practice spanning over three decades. This is the egg that binds the pudding in all her work.
What People Say
“Both inspired and inspiring, Em brings energy, experience and vision to all her projects. She knows how to draw the best out of performers of all ages, from experienced professionals to hesitant first-time amateurs, and builds confidence and creativity everywhere she goes”.
Christopher Glynn, Artistic Director, Ryedale Festival
“Working with Em has been a total joy. She is a great collaborator and has been central to some of our finest work. Capable of getting the very best out of people - no matter what their capability or experience - Em builds the confidence of singers and performers to the point where they shine in front of an audience. She has passion and pride in equal measure and it shows in everything she does.”
Alan Dix, Director 509 Arts
“Em is an inspiring choir leader, who works well with diverse groups young and old. Her manner is supportive at the same time as being able to crack the whip and get the most out of any ensemble. She has a fantastic ability to work with groups of amateur voices to achieve results of uncompromising quality & extraordinary performances. As well as her profound knowledge of singing and singers, Em has a repertoire of her own beautiful choral material.”
Clare Drury, Arts Development, Hull City Council
