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Jessica Edwards
- Location:
- United Kingdom
- Issues:
- Climate Change, Education, Hunger/Food insecurity, Refugee Crisis and Immigration, Technology & Data, Women and Girls, Human Rights
- Expertise:
- Impact Producing, Consulting, Impact Strategist/Advisor, Designing impact guides, Alternative Distribution, Mentorship, Impact evaluation
- Cultural/racial identity:
- Human, European, British
- Self identification:
- Female
Bio
With a deep curiosity in the change-catalysing properties of culture and storytelling, I am a cultural strategist and executive producer. Dividing my time between my role as Head of Cultural Development at Nesta, the innovation foundation for social good, and a combination of mentoring on Documentary Campus Masterschool, Executive Producing (on Hilary Powell & Dan Edelstyn's POWER STATION and Louis VI's Nature Ain't A Luxury) and coaching, I have senior expertise bridging the worlds of film, television and non-profits.
Previously, I undertook a Clore Fellowship in cultural leadership (2022/23) and was the Director of Impact & Partnerships at Doc Society 2017-2022. The first 15 years of my career were spent producing documentaries and factual television before moving into strategic communications, leading numerous projects for prominent NGOs. This led me to impact strategy, working on a range of films from indie docs through to studio releases, such as He Named Me Malala (2016). My practice integrates this breadth of experience, optimising the power of narrative, increasingly at a systems level.
I am a qualified yoga teacher (Yoga Alliance 200 hrs) and coach (International Coaching Federation, ACC) and a member of the UK’s Documentary Film Council. I live in London with my family.
