Emma is a young creative, campaigner and advocate for intersectionality in mental health. They are the founder and CEO of the non-profit organisation Project Sonrisa which aims to start more meaningful conversations about mental health by engaging people in the transformative powers of the creative arts.

Project Sonrisa was founded in July 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and since then has won awards and continues to make a positive impact. Their documentary Our Minds, which Emma produced, directed, and filmed, explored topics that are underrepresented in mental health such as the LGBTQ+ community, religion, rural deprivation and much more. Our Minds was even selected for an international film festival!

Emma is also a Trustee and Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament. Campaigning and advocating for the voices of young people in their constituency, in Scotland, and also bringing those voices to a UK-wide Level through the UK Youth Parliament. Emma’s work in SYP includes a campaign they ran ‘Assess Your Access’, which encouraged and raised awareness of accessible practices when using social media.

They have also collaborated with another MSYP to research young people’s views on the environmental impacts of single-use disposable vapes, producing a report titled ‘Single-Use: Many Voices’, speaking to politicians and working with other environmental campaigners. Aside from these two pieces of work, Emma, from their own lived experience has advocated for more support for people who suffer with Endometriosis, better sexual health education in schools and improved access to the right to contraception.