Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2025 list has been announced to celebrate just some of the women working in Scotland.
Launched as part of International Women’s Day 2025, we shine the spotlight on 12 women who all contribute towards Scotland’s cultural landscape through their work. Read the 2025 list here.
We asked Jemima Levick to tell us more about her work, influences and ambitions for the future.
How did you first get involved in the arts and who were your early influences?
I suppose my Mum was my biggest influence, She was an actor and playwright when I was very young, so we were often at the back of a community hall while she was performing. I didn’t go to youth theatre or anything like that, but when I was studying for my A Levels I could see that my pals who were on the drama and theatre arts course were having a great time, so I switched from film to theatre studies and never looked back.
In a time when many artists and creative professionals are facing significant challenges, how have you developed and evolved your creative practice over the past few years?
I think it’s incredibly hard to work in the arts in this moment we’re in. While there’s a lot that’s better than it was, there’s still a very long way to go in terms of ensuring genuine diversity, equality and accessibility. There’s a paucity in opportunity and choice that I think is most worrying. Perhaps there were fewer people doing it when I started out, but it felt like there was more to apply to or get involved in or attached to. In terms of my own creative practice, I’ve really worked on keeping on keeping on and doing practical theatre making. It can be very easy to slip into the administrative side of my role, but ensuring I’m regularly getting into a rehearsal room with actors, writers, designers (etc) and being creative is critical to keeping that muscle exercised. And it makes me the most happy.
Who or what interests you creatively?
So many things. Books, visual arts, dance, fashion, architecture, films. Even the news, on occasion. All of these things inspire and interest and influence the work I make and the creative projects I pursue.
What are your plans for the next year or so and/or what are your longer term creative ambitions?
I’ll be making a lot of work at the Tron over the coming months. We have a whole season of work to look forward to, including two new pieces ‘Fruitcake’ by Frances Poet and Man’s Best Friend’ by Douglas Maxwell that I’ll be directing myself, but there’ll be plenty more I’ll be overseeing including a brilliant new play by Uma Nada Rajah called ‘Black Hole Sign’. Beyond that we’ll be planning seasons and new collaborations for 2026 and beyond so there’s plenty to be getting on with.
Find out more about Jemima Levick here.
Read the Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2024 List
Hands Up for Trad are an organisation who work with Scottish traditional music, language and culture. If you would like to support our work you can donate here.
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