Jess Thom is a writer, performer, artist and part time superhero. Jess has Tourettes Syndrome and co-founded Touretteshero in 2010 as a creative response to her experience of living with the condition. Backstage In Biscuit Land is Jess’s Edinburgh debut show. Having Tourettes makes her neurologically incapable of staying on script, and that’s where the fun beings.
Jess has written in the mainstream and disability press including The Guardian, The Observer and Disability Now. In 2012, she published her first book Welcome to Biscuit Land – A Year In the Life of Touretteshero, with a foreword by Stephen Fry.
In the guise of her superhero alter ego Jess has performed at festivals such as Glastonbury and Shambala. In 2014 she held an improvisation workshop with Nina Conti and Monkey with extraordinary results.
Jess has spoken widely in the media about her life with Tourettes, including on Woman’s Hour, Good Morning, and The Saturday Night Show in Ireland. In 2013 she gave a TEDx talk on The Alchemy of Chaos at the Royal Albert Hall and became a continuity announcer for Channel 4 as part of their Born Risky season. This work continued in 2014 when Jess joined the freelance continuity team at Channel 4. On Twitter Jess has built up a strong following of over 15,000.
A visual and participatory artist in her own right, Jess has worked as an artist educator and workshop facilitator for Tate, South London Gallery and the Chisenhale Gallery. Jess works collaboratively with communities to create accessible works that explore and communicate wide-ranging experiences.