Jo Rhodes

Founder, Challenge 59

Jo is an independent dance artist with twenty-five years experience of working in the arts with young people. Her passion lies in education and community settings, working in some of the UK’s most deprived areas and in targeted health interventions. She is passionate about co- creation, creativity and choreography, health, education, equity, the power of the youth voice and partnership working. 

Jo founded and directs Challenge 59, a dance and film programme whereby young people collaborate with industry artists to co-create 59 second films about important health issues in their communities. Children’s work has been presented internationally and in 2019, Challenge 59 was chosen as 1 in 100 top education innovations in the world. More recently Jo founded the Co-LAB Collective, a collective of artists working in multi-disciplinary art forms, to amplify young voices around important global issues and human rights. Currently Jo also freelances for the Royal Opera House, being a lead artist on their national learning and participation programmes, including on youth voice, dance, literacy and cross-curricular work, teacher training and Associate artist mentoring.

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Jo Rhodes

Founder, Challenge 59

Jo is an independent dance artist with twenty-five years experience of working in the arts with young people. Her passion lies in education and community settings, working in some of the UK’s most deprived areas and in targeted health interventions. She is passionate about co- creation, creativity and choreography, health, education, equity, the power of the youth voice and partnership working. 

Jo founded and directs Challenge 59, a dance and film programme whereby young people collaborate with industry artists to co-create 59 second films about important health issues in their communities. Children’s work has been presented internationally and in 2019, Challenge 59 was chosen as 1 in 100 top education innovations in the world. More recently Jo founded the Co-LAB Collective, a collective of artists working in multi-disciplinary art forms, to amplify young voices around important global issues and human rights. Currently Jo also freelances for the Royal Opera House, being a lead artist on their national learning and participation programmes, including on youth voice, dance, literacy and cross-curricular work, teacher training and Associate artist mentoring.

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Jo

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