Hi friends and family!  

I am starting a Gofundme to help fund what would be a life changing Fine Art Masters program at the University of Southern California (USC Roski). USC has generously offered me just under a ¾ scholarship. When I applied to USC I was in a position to self-fund my degree through savings and work as an artist and a fashion model but due to mine and my families reduced income during Covid-19 I am struggling to fund my remaining tuition. 

I was originally quite skeptical to create a GoFundme in the midst of a pandemic when so many people, like myself, are facing the emotional and financial repercussions of Covid-19. However, pursuing a masters at USC Roski would be transformative. It would begin a real step-change in progressing my practice and building an international network as an artist and filmmaker. I would be so appreciative for any support in helping me make this a reality.

Depending on your donation, I will be gifting limited addition prints or postcards of my work. Larger sponsors, if you would be interested, I would love to keep in touch and inform you of the progress of my course and the work I am producing as well as exhibitions and commissions I am working on. 

Family and friends if you would prefer this to be a loan, I am so grateful for this too and we can arrange payment back with APR. 

Who you are funding: 
For a little background on myself, I am a moving image and performance artist based in London. I was raised by a single mother, who worked in advertising and is now an environmental and social activist. I spent my childhood between London, California and New York. 

I attended a state-run drama school in New York followed by the Brit School a world-renowned state performance high school in London. My theatre training led me to a Fine Art film and performance course at Central Saint Martins where I received a First Class Honors and was one of five of 5,000 graduates nominated for MullenLowe Nova award. Graduating in 2016 made me the first woman in my family to have earned a degree.

Since then, I have continued to develop my practice and exhibited my artwork in London, Paris, Bruges, Zurich and Berlin including the South London Gallery, Bruges Cultural Centre and Media and Science Museum. I have been commissioned by E J Scott, curator at the Tate Britain, WYQS, Arts Council, Leeds Museum and CREATE. 

Often my work explores the everyday possibilities of the imagination. I focus on identity politics and I collaborate with untrained actors and communities who perform heightened versions of themselves within real and imagined environments. A lot of the time I am looking at unfamiliar protagonists living inside familiar narratives like science fiction films and fairytales.

In 2020 I completed an art commission for Leeds museum and WYQS, Riding West on a Walrus Tail, which is a queer fairytale performed and inspired by West Yorkshire’s LGBTQIA+ community. The project opened up a space for queer people to tell their own stories and see themselves represented in narratives which have traditionally been heteronormative and lacking in queer representation. 

Currently I am being funded by OPDC and Create to make a science fiction musical exploring the potential of collective imagination and collective voice to produce social and environmental transformation. I'll be creating this project in collaboration with children from my local community of Harlesden. Through music and performance workshops we’ll be using science fiction as a tool for thinking about the world as it is and as it could be and then creating a song for change which will be performed by them in the science fiction musical. 

I've attached images of my work bellow and my website can be found here: www.angelinajesson.com 

Why USC Roski:
For the past four years I have been living and working between Los Angeles and London as an artist and a fashion model. Los Angeles is an obvious destination for me to pursue graduate study. Its closeness to fiction within everyday life and its history of formal experimentation, performance art and filmmaking will give me an immensely rich environment to draw upon. Los Angeles is also the perfect destination for me to achieve my goal of becoming an artist who moves between art film and feature film. An Isaac Julien, a Matthew Barney, a Steve McQueen- and we all know we need more representation of women behind the camera!

This year I was offered places on four of the most prestigious art schools in the US and the UK, including CalArts, Slade and Goldsmiths. I chose USC Roski as it is the only program in the world to offer me the option to receive an MFA in Fine Art and an added Performance Art Certificate. I will have the incredible opportunity to take classes in USC’s prestigious film school where George Lucas, the director of Star Wars received his degree.

I’ll also be taking electives in feminism, science-fiction and classes in USC’s world-building institute. I’ll be learning from some of my art heroes and leaders in performance art and moving image, including Susanne Lacy, Patty Chang, Nao Bustamante and Jennifer West. I also have the opportunity to take practical electives in Special Effects and Photography/ Filmmaking. USC Roski is the most perfect course for me and what I need from my education.

My goal for my masters is to refine my practice, build connections within the art and film industries, to challenge my understandings of what constitutes myself as an artist and to continue using my platform for representing underrepresented communities in film and art. 

Your donation will be going to helping me finance the remaining 13k a year in tuition after the scholarship offered by USC Roski. 

Again, I am so appreciative for any support you may be able to give. Thank you so much for your time and if you have any further questions please feel free to message me on Gofundme. I am happy to send over proof my acceptance or any other details you may require! 

I can also accept donations on 
Paypal: @angelinajesson
Paypal: paypal.me/angelinajesson

 



















All my best, 

Angelina 
www.angelinajesson.com