Jo Taylor {TEDxCardiff, 2010}

Jo Taylor is the Head of Marketing & Communications at the Wales Millennium Centre. Jo shared her passion for live performance and explained how the traditional performing arts are removing barriers to participation in order to reach new audiences. She talked about the importance of anticipation and how sharing a single, unrepeatable moment with audience and cast members makes live performances unique. One of the lines that has stayed with me since seeing Jo speak is this:

"[when I go to a performance after work] the live performance rescues me from the stresses of the rest of the day. It rescues me from real life ... in fact it is life at its very best."

The really special thing about Jo's talk was when she finished by introducing two singers from the Welsh National Opera who performed an excerpt from Hansel and Gretel and instantly proved what Jo had spent the previous 15 minutes explaining - their performance challenged my preconceptions of opera and left me with tear-stained cheeks - just amazing!