Gemma Thorpe
United Kingdom

Gemma is a documentary photographer with 12 years’ experience working with non-profits, the arts, environmental organisations, in research and education on projects underpinned with a strong sense of social justice. Her personal work explores identity and belonging through the lens of sports and culture, and in recent years she began to shift her practice to documentary filmmaking. In 2017 Gemma directed her first short En la Sangre/In The Blood about a young Cuban boxer and the tender relationship he has with his father. She has lived, travelled and worked extensively in China and is currently working on her first feature documentary Shanghai Blues. Gemma is expanding her work into immersive production and in 2022 was a Creative Producer for the multi-award winning StoryTrails, the UK’s largest immersive storytelling project to date. Gemma also also delivers a module to MA Visual Journalism and Storytelling students at the University of Bolton focused on emerging trends and technologies.

Project: Shanghai Blues