Jess Thorpe

Jess Thorpe serves as a part-time Lecturer in the Arts in Justice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's School of Dance, Drama, Production and Film, designing creative projects in prisons and with justice-impacted communities. She concurrently holds leadership roles as Co-Artistic Director of Glass Performance and founder/trustee of Justice and Arts Scotland (formerly SPAN), demonstrating deep institutional integration across academic and community spheres.

Her educational trajectory includes ongoing doctoral research through a PhD by portfolio jointly supervised by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and University of St Andrews, reflecting her commitment to scholarly-practitioner development. This advanced study builds upon her extensive practical foundation in justice-oriented arts.

Thorpe's research investigates transformative intersections between theatre practice and criminal justice systems, with particular emphasis on youth engagement in carceral environments, therapeutic applications of performance, and community reintegration frameworks. Her pioneering work established Polmont Youth Theatre—the first prison-based youth theatre in Scotland—and Junction 25, which received the CATS Whiskers award for outstanding contribution to Scottish theatre. Current investigations focus on ethical practitioner responsibilities, mental health interventions through performance, and international knowledge exchange.

Analysis of her 2024-2025 outputs reveals concentrated exploration of mental health (MENTOLOGY), ethical boundaries in practitioner roles, and transnational justice arts models. Her work increasingly incorporates cross-cultural methodologies while maintaining core focus on prison-based creative interventions, demonstrating evolutionary depth in both theoretical frameworks and practical applications.

Thorpe's recognition includes:

• CATS Whiskers award for outstanding contribution to Scottish theatre (2015)
• Drama and Education prize for 'A Beginners Guide to Devising Theatre' (2021)
• Universities UK 'Nation’s Lifesavers' distinction (2019)
• BBC Expert Woman designation (2019)
• List Magazine's top 100 creative talent (2011)
• Best Production for Children and Young People award (2025)

Her advisory impact manifests through leadership of Glass Performance's youth initiatives and Justice and Arts Scotland's sector development. While specific grant details remain undisclosed, her Creative Scotland collaborations and international engagements (including Uruguay academic visits) indicate robust funding partnerships. The MadeAtUni campaign recognition underscores her work's life-changing societal impact through university-community synergies.

Thorpe directs dynamic teams including Junction 25 performance company and Polmont Youth Theatre, with future work expanding through 2025 projects exploring mental health frameworks (MENTOLOGY), international justice arts models, and ethical practitioner standards. Her upcoming SHARE #3 symposium participation indicates continued knowledge mobilization within global performance-criminal justice networks.