Jade Ward is a a student researcher, educator, yoga teacher, dancer, and dedicated community activist. Her background is predominately in education and the VCSE sector, working in a diverse range of educational and community focused settings. 

Jade began her PhD in January 2021 with Coventry University's Centre for Dance Research (CDaRE) and is investigating the potential benefits of hip hop dance and culture on mental health, wellbeing and citizenship with the projects partner organisation, Street Factory CIC. 

Since re-entering the academic sector Jade has employed her exsisting skill set to utalise her opportunities. She presented at three events in her first year including the 2021 CDaRE PGR Symposium, the 'Talking Back: Hip Hop through practice and research' event with Rosa Cisneros, and the 'Hip Hop Transforming: What does hip hop offer young people' event with Bedfordshire University. 

She has also worked with dance industry leaders including Artists4Artists, The Society for Dance Research and Kauma Arts. She recently co-authored a report for the Inclusions and Intersectionality Symposium for the Society for Dance Research 2021. She is currently the Co-Investigator for the Kauma Arts Brief Encounter programme and is working with a global team to analyse findings, identify outcomes and inform policy-makers.

Jade is an advocate for using movement-based, nature placed, holisitic practices to strengthen communities and works on the land and in the water with a number of organisations in her home city. She is a founding member of a community hub set up during the pandemic to support more vulenrable community members and volunteers her spare time to community focused initiatives.