Gemma Pepper

Gemma Pepper is a performance artist and arts practitioner who works with diverse communities and young people to create distinctive multi-artform projects. 

Originally from the regional community of Denmark in Western Australia, her early training was in circus, theatre and spectacle performance with Denmark Arts and Southern Edge Arts.

She has since worked in various communities around Australia, including the Murray Bridge community in South Australia, where she facilitated skills development, community engagement and cross-cultural exchanges during the production of Shishka Car for the 2002 Adelaide Festival.

More recently, Gemma has turned her attentions to working with communities internationally. In 2003 - 2004 Gemma was supported through the Australia Council’s Out There Everywhere initiative to undertake a residency program with Peace Links in Sierra Leone working with young people impacted by the civil war.

Whilst abroad she also spent time working with disadvantaged young people in England on multi-artform projects and later undertook work with United Nations agencies in Vietnam on HIV/AIDS projects.

In 2005 Gemma was the recipient of the Young Leaders award from the Australia Council for significant achievement and visionary approach to social justice and cultural development within arts practice.

She has recently returned to Western Australia where she is exploring opportunities for further projects abroad.