Jo is a neurodivergent producer/writer who has been in the industry since she was 12 years old. Professionally she started off as a child actor and grew up with a love for creating worlds and storytelling.
As an adult she went on to study Drama BA at University Winchester and then trained at RADA on the MA Theatre Lab in 2012, where she met fellow graduate Clare-Louise English and they went on to co-found Hot Coals Productions.
As a producer Jo has Produced 4 critically acclaimed touring theatre productions (all funded by Arts Council England); THE GREEN ROOM, a video podcast created remotely during lockdown; A NEW KIND OF NORMAL, a children’s educational animated film co-produced with Kathy Haywood and 4 short films including Hot Coals debut short film MY DARLING CHRISTOPHER which went on to win 8 award and 10 nominations in its festival run in 2020/2021.
In 2022 she produced the ABOUT TIME event at BAFTA, funded by ITV and Disney+
which was an event celebrating Deaf, Disabled and/or neurodivergent (DDN) talent in TV and which led to many of the talent involved celebrating huge achievements including Arthur Hughes who went on to get the leading role in Disney’s up and coming period drama series Shardlake.
Jo is passionate about evoking change within the industry and finding new and exciting ways to be accessible and inclusive.
Jo has also recently produced two further short films with Hot Coals, which are part of a collection of shorts written by DDN writers called TALKING BODIES. WE CARE and INDEFINITELY were both filmed in July 2022 and are currently doing the festival circuit and have collected 3 awards including an award for cinematic achievement at Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema. She also currently has several projects in various stages in development including an adaption of Nell Pattison’s crime thriller series of books THE SILENT SERIES, two TV comedies, 5 further short films and her debut feature.
As a DDN Producer herself Jo has not only got vast experience working with DDN Talent and writers but lived experience. She has studied BSL to level 4 standard and has worked with Access Consultants throughout her career. She specialises in developing accessible content and has a special talent for thinking outside the box when it comes to finding new and inclusive ways of working. On the TALKING BODIES short films she created a program called BACKSTAGE BODIES (funded by Arts Council England) which helped to develop DDN behind the camera crew who all worked on the films alongside more experienced DDN crew, meaning the films were made with 99% DDN team. Something which is unheard of in the industry.