Jessie Edwards-Thomas

Jessie Edwards-Thomas serves as a Senior Lecturer in Photography within the Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries, and Education (ACE) at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). Her academic work integrates creative practice with community engagement, focusing on photography as a tool for fostering belonging and amplifying marginalized voices through therapeutic processes.

Education:

• Masters of Photography, University of the Arts London (UAL)
• PGCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, UWE Bristol

Edwards-Thomas's research centers on photography as therapy for mental health, examining care frameworks, community belonging, and representation of marginalized groups. Her practice critically explores alienation, political structures, and capitalism's impact on care systems through collaborative storytelling and fictional narratives. She emphasizes co-creation with communities to challenge systemic inequalities and build spaces for dialogue.

As an active member of the UWE Visual Culture Research Centre (VCRG) and UWE Photography Research Group, she develops interdisciplinary connections between visual culture, mental health, and community-based art practices.

Her funded projects include the New Starter Research Scheme (2021-2024) on womanhood and digital labor, TraumaPorn: White Noise Therapy Symposium (2023) addressing mental health care, and Dreamlines: Picturing Bristol High Streets (2023-2024) documenting community in urban spaces. These were supported by UWE, Photography Research Group, Historic England, and Bristol Photo Festival.

Edwards-Thomas has extensive community partnerships including Bristol Photo Festival, Arnolfini, Springboard Studios (Falmouth University), Vareki Arts Outreach, and InBetweenTime. Her 2021 commission with Golden Key explored homelessness and wellbeing through collaborative exhibitions, demonstrating her commitment to embedding community voices in artistic practice.