Based in South Wales, Gemma is a community engagement specialist with over 15 years’ experience designing and delivering social, educational, cultural, and creative projects rooted in co-design, care, and long-term collaboration. She leads on projects which call for a specialism in supporting community and participatory arts activities, with a strong focus on social value and furthering cultural democracy.
Before joining The Audience Agency, Gemma was Senior Community Engagement Producer at Wales Millennium Centre, where she led a pioneering Participatory Budgeting Programme and developed long-term partnerships with communities and artists to make sure democracy remained at the heart of the community programme at this National Arts Centre. She played a key role in revitalising Butetown Carnival, building a programme of democratically voted for exhibitions, community performances and cultural celebrations and delivering a community ticketing scheme reaching 8,000 people annually.
Previously, she held roles at Cardiff Community Housing Association and Cardiff Council, where she worked for Welsh Government anti-poverty programme Communities First building local consultation, working alongside communities to build a programme locally that was designed by and for them. Gemma led asset-based programmes tackling health, poverty, and un-employment, supporting local groups to achieve sustainability and independence and looks forward to developing further engagement pieces that put ‘Community Voice’ at the heart.
Gemma has an MA focused in Contemporary Performance from Brunel University.
