After ten amazing years of work with Longborough, our Head of Learning and Participation Jessica May steps back with Emma Campbell announced as her successor.
Jessica began work with Longborough Festival Opera in 2014, devising and delivering in-school workshops for local state primary and secondaries in our community, working with a few hundred students a year. Since then, Jessica has transformed the Learning and Participation work of the festival, significantly expanding our offer to local schools, communities and children and young people. We now work with over 3,000 children, young people and participants annually.
Jessica has created and pioneered the Longborough Youth and Community Choruses, developed Longborough's highly successful Playground Opera productions, and our Singing Schools initiative.
Jessica has also initiated and delivered highly creative standalone in-school projects with Chroma Ensemble.
Our Artistic Director Polly Graham comments: "Jessica's vision and energy has created such momentum around Learning and Participation in the broadest sense. Her championship of this area has enriched the work of our company as a whole, with community and educational projects integrated into the core of our work. We will miss Jess dearly, but we look forward to continuing so many of the projects she began with our new Head of Learning and Participation, Emma Campbell."
Executive Director Emily Gottlieb comments: “We are incredibly grateful to Jess for her immense drive and commitment to Longborough over so many years, which has cemented the education work of the company at the heart of our work. Her creativity and passionate commitment to the development of children has built many lasting programmes and shaped the lives of countless young people. In Emma Campbell she has a worthy successor, and we all greatly look forward to collaborating with Jess in her new role, forging new partnerships in the region for the benefit of future generations”.
Jessica May says: "How much we've achieved since I joined the Longborough team: over 13,700 students have had their eyes, ears and mouths opened by opera and singing. Not to mention all the parents, grandparents, teachers, siblings and friends who have been swept along on our journey. It's incredibly hard to say goodbye, but the wonderful Emma Campbell is ready and raring to stamp her own mark on the plans and build on our successes. I leave knowing that Longborough’s Learning and Participation department is in excellent hands. I am very much looking forward to watching what happens next".
Jessica goes on to work as Operations Director of the Chipping Campden Music Festival. Emma Campbell, who has been working as a Creative Producer for Longborough since September 2023, will be stepping into the role of Head of Learning and Participation from January 2025.
Emma says: "After working closely with Jess over the past 12 months I feel privileged to be continuing all the fantastic work of the department. Together with other professionals I am looking forward to building on its foundations to develop and grow the programme to reach more children and to continue to enrich their lives with singing, music and a love for opera. There is so much to say about the vision for Longborough’s Learning and Participation over the next one to three years. Quite simply I want awareness and understanding of all that Longborough Festival Opera has to offer, to be in people’s daily conversations and to be in the hearts and minds of families and our community. I am excited to be part of its journey!"
