Jess Herman

Founder, Project Manager & CEO

Jess Herman created the concept of the Sexual Health Circus in 2019 by fusing her two passions and skills. She is both an accomplished circus performer and an experienced sexual health educator and consultant, youth worker and project manager with over 18 years’ experience delivering health promotion and circus projects across the world.

Jess has worked for the NHS as a Young Person's Health Improvement Worker and for the national sexual health and wellbeing charity Brook, delivering Relationship & Sex Education and drop-in sessions in schools. Jess received high-level training to deliver this curriculum to a national standard and has honed her skills as an effective health and wellbeing specialist, most recently becoming a Sexual Health Education Consultant.

As a professional circus performer under the stage name of 'Miss Mess', she has devised and developed acts and shows in a wide variety of contexts, including being part of the original SHC show. Jess is not in the current version of the show due to a (planned) pregnancy! She performs for children and young people with Circus Pazaz and Bristol-based circus company Lavrak.

Jess has also been involved in Performers Without Borders for the last five years for projects in Nicaragua, Kenya and Calais. Seeking other fusions of Sexual Health and Circus, Jess has been involved with Circus Zambia's project 'Clowns for Condoms’.