Jen Nevin

Jen Nevin holds space for the BPH team and artists in Bradford. She offers therapeutic tools such as bodywork and breath exercises to release tension and manage stress, which she has found to support her and the people she works with. Her role at BPH involves encouraging creatives to consider how they might adopt a culture of care in their creative projects and to find balance. She designs and delivers unique training and practical support which is shared with BPH and the wider sector.

“I love the team at BPH and its values! It puts artists at the heart of everything it does. I have been a huge advocate of BPH since its conception. It’s completely changed the landscape and opportunities for artists in West Yorkshire, I’m super proud to be a small part of this.”

As a freelance theatre maker proudly working in Bradford for the last ten years, Jen has known some of the challenges of balancing health while developing and maintaining a career in the arts in the North. Her artistic practice is centred around collaboration that prioritises the care of the individual and the collective. Jen promotes the benefits of active rest and offers spaces where people connect with their bodies to move towards feeling more safe, grounded and supported. Delivering a holistic arts programme on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, she experienced the benefits of creativity, regular movement and meditation to her own and others’ health, and in processing trauma. Returning to the UK Jen was committed to sharing these transformational practices with others.

Jen is the founding co-director of Displace Yourself Theatre, an ensemble of performers, musicians & artists co-creating & touring highly visual performances with people who are displaced from their body, home or country. They share their holistic practices with communities across the UK. Jen is also a qualified Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master and bodywork practitioner fusing these practices to support people’s psycho-emotional health. She facilitates therapeutic experiences through sharing circles and wellness retreats in the UK and South East Asia. Her work is socially engaged, trauma-informed and prioritises care.

“This is such an exciting time to be creating in Bradford! We’ve always been a place full of change-makers and as we move towards 2025, the spotlight will be on how we can do things differently and full of care for the local arts sector. In a world of increasing polarisation, the Bradford cultural sector demonstrates the power of meaningful partnerships. To be an artist in Bradford, collaboration and care are key. I’ve never known a more caring community than the individuals who make up our sector. Whether making my own work or collaborating on other artist’s projects, I am passionate about supporting my Bradford peers to maintain energies and creative spirits in the run-up to the City of Culture and beyond!”