Emma Gladstone

Emma Gladstone OBE was a hugely respected senior arts advisor and programmer working in cultural and creative industries worldwide. Her expertise was in dance and performance. As Artistic Director of the Rolex Arts Festival (Athens, 2023), Director of the Big Pulse Intensive (Creative Europe 2021-24) and former Artistic Director, BBC Young Dancer (2015, 2019 & 2022), she specialised in the professional development of artists and cultural workers.

From 2013 to 2021 Emma was Artistic Director & Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella, London's long running international dance festival. Her tenure was characterised by diversifying choreographic styles, reinforcing its role as a catalytic introducer of talent, and reaching and inspiring local audiences from babies to adults in more locations than ever before in the festival’s history.

Emma’s work was not just about who’s on stage but also the creative collaboration and shared vision it takes to make things happen. This led to Producer Farm; a joint initiative with Fuel, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, Dance Umbrella, In Between Time and Coombe Farm Studios, which offers free residencies for professional UK and international producers to reflect on and refresh ideas and their practice. Emma was also a founding member, and instrumental in the development of the Creative Europe project Big Pulse Dance Alliance, a network of 12 European dance festivals and institutions supporting artists and diversifying dance programming on the big stages of Europe and beyond. In recent years her international work as an advisor, speaker and assessor has included Chile, China, India, South Korea and Hong Kong.

Whilst Artistic Programmer at Sadler’s Wells from 2005-2013, Emma initiated a range of programming frames for artists and audiences that continue today, whilst establishing and directing the Jerwood Choreographic Research Programme. Emma was also Co-Founder of Crying Out Loud and Associate Director at The Place (1997-2003).

Before her programming career Emma danced for 20 years with/for the likes of Arlene Phillips, and Lea Anderson’s The Cholmondeleys. She co-founded Adventures in Motion Pictures (now New Adventures) with Sir Matthew Bourne. Formerly Chair of the Board at Siobhan Davies Studios, Emma was also a Trustee at Dartington Trust in Devon and a Trustee at Aesop (Arts & Health).

Emma was an Honorary Fellow at Trinity Laban, received a Tonic Award for Outstanding Women in the Arts in 2019, and in 2021 was awarded an OBE for Services to Dance in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.