About Jessica
Jess is a multi-disciplinary artist working in directing, writing, dramaturgy, and performing. Through a neurodivergent and queer lens, the essence of Jess’ artistic practice is creating new works, blending artistic form, and blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
As a grapheme-colour synaesthete, the use of music, movement, and colour is a vital part of their work. Jess’ multitudes of neurodivergence inspire abstract and conceptual thinking, and they are endlessly interested in exploring human connection, philosophy and psychology.
Jess is a graduate from the MFA Directing course at NIDA. For her graduating production, Jess wrote and directed ‘The Decay of Lying’. Synthesising dialogue, live musicians, and film, this piece is an interdisciplinary interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s essay of the same name, responding to one of his key arguments, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.”
At NIDA, Jess also directed the music video ‘The Job I Took’ by Sophisticated Dingo (NIDA x Triple J Unearthed) which premiered live on Rage; Caryl Churchill’s short play ‘Not Enough Oxygen’ (NIDA x ACA); and assistant directed a live cinema adaptation of Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’, under the direction of Dr Benjamin Schostakowski.
Jess graduated in early 2019 with a Diploma of Music Theatre from the Australian Institute of Music. Since graduating, they have been involved in the creation of new works as a performer, writer, artist, and assistant director. In 2021 Jess directed their debut production ‘Alice’, a new Australian musical.
Their most recent credits include assistant directing ‘Forgetting Tim Minchin’ (Belvoir’s 25a Season) and director/dramaturg for new musical ‘Death To A Butterfly’ (Antipodes Theatre Company’s Winterlab).
