Jude Kelly
Jude Kelly
Jude Kelly is CEO and Founder of The WOW Foundation, which runs WOW - Women of the World Festivals across the globe to celebrate the achievements of women and girls and confront global gender injustice. Starting at London’s Southbank Centre in 2010, where Jude was Artistic Director for 12 years, the festival now takes place in 30 locations across six continents. In 2018 Jude established The WOW Foundation as an independent charity dedicated to building the WOW movement as a force for change.
She has directed over 200 theatre and opera productions, including at the Royal Shakespeare Company, English National Opera, National Theatre, and the Châtalet in Paris including Ian McKellen in The Seagull, Patrick Stewart in Johnson over Jordon and Dawn French in When We Are Married. She is the recipient of two Olivier Awards, a BASCA Gold Badge Award for contribution to music and a Southbank Award for opera. She was headhunted to join the bidding team for the 2012 London Olympics and create the programme for culture and ceremonies, she subsequently advised both Rio and Tokyo on their successful bids. Jude Kelly has founded a range of arts institutions and has commissioned and supported the work of thousands of artists across all genres. Jude will be moderating the news podcasting panel.