Filomena Campus

Internationally renowned jazz vocalist/lyricist whose diverse influences range from modern literature, theatre and art to the culture of her native Sardinia. Campus has toured or collaborated with the UK's top jazz artists, including Orphy Robinson, Rowland Sutherland, Cleveland Watkiss, Steve Williamson, Huw Warren, Byron Wallen, Ruth Goller, Jean Toussaint, Kenny Wheeler, Evan Parker, Laura Cole, Nana Simopoulos, and the London Improvisers Orchestra, as well as with fellow Sardinian musicians Paolo Fresu, Gavino Murgia and Antonello Salis. Filomena has performed at many jazz festivals around the world, having played in the UK, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Morocco, Thailand, and Croatia amongst others. In 2010 she founded the Filomena Campus Quartet with whom she has released the CD Jester of Jazz and performs regularly at London jazz venues such as the PizzaExpress Jazz Club, Ronnie Scott's, Jazz Live at the Crypt and the Vortex. The Quartet has two more projects, Italy VS England with renowned Italian writer and performer Stefano Benni, and the latest Theatralia.

In 2014 Campus recorded the album Scaramouche with guitarist Giorgio Serci, featuring the late Kenny Wheeler. 2013 saw Filomena launch her annual My Jazz Islands Festival, later renamed Theatralia Jazz Festival, in which she seeks to unite Italian and UK jazz musicians. Her acclaimed production of Monk Misterioso. A Journey into the Silence of Thelonious Monk, supported by the Arts Council England, has toured the UK and was sold out at the EFG London Jazz Festival in November 2017.

Campus in 2023 received the honour of Cavaliera (Dame) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

She was awarded Premio Navicella in 2015 and Premio Maria Carta in 2009,

Filomena is the Artistic Director of Theatralia.

Founded in London in 2003, Theatralia is an international collective of performers and artists who combine literature, physical theatre, performance art, and inventive digital art with live music. Since 2006 Theatralia productions have been sponsored by the Arts Council England. Theatralia's productions directed by Filomena include the acclaimed MONK Misterioso, Concert in F, To be Franca, Credevo Che, Italy VS England, U238, and Not in My Name.

Filomena has worked, studied or collaborated with international theatre practitioners and historical figures such as Franca Rame, Dario Fo, Stefano Benni, Eugenio Barba, Roberta Carreri (Odin Teatret), Julia Varley, Marco Paolini, Marcello Magni (Complicite), Augusto Boal, Adrian Jackson, Judith Malina, Frank Millward (Lumiere and Son), Mei Bao Jiu (Bejing Opera).

Since 2003 Filomena (MA Theatre Directing, First Class BA Hons) has been working as a visiting lecturer and freelance theatre director in UK universities such as the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, East15 Acting School, University of Essex, Kingston University, and Bucks New University. In her work as an educator, Filomena has taught theatre directing, acting, devising and physical theatre, improvisation techniques, voice and movement, text analysis, and contextual studies. Additionally, Filomena gives regularly theatre and vocal masterclasses and workshops on jazz singing, acting, directing, and vocal improvisation.

In 2020, Filomena was awarded by LAHP (London Arts and Humanities Partnership) and (AHRC) Arts and Humanities Research Council, a funded Research Studentship at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama for a Collaborative Doctoral Award with the Archive Franca Rame Dario Fo. Work title for this project: 'Liberate Rame! The feminist practices of theatre-maker and activist Franca Rame.'