Expression and Connection at the Helm of Emma Memma’s Mission to Meaningfully Connect
Imagine sitting in the audience of a Wiggles concert, at the age of seven, loving every moment and thinking ‘I would like to do that some day’ and then, around 20 years later, it happened. That is the real life story of Emma Watkins, who became the first ever female Wiggle, donning the yellow skivvy and adding yellow bows. The juggernaut of a band performed to some million people a year while Emma was part of the group.
That was the year 1996. Emma had no idea the band would go on for some long and literally jumped at the opportunity to audition when the time came.
Many people wondered why one would leave such a dream role as part of The Wiggles as Emma did after nine years, yet Emma Watkins has many great passions and during Covid, completed her PhD, with a focus on integrating sign language and dance for children's screen media.
It was during her early childhood that Emma became acquainted with the Deaf community, as her best friend had two Deaf brothers. They played together after school. It planted a seed of inspiration for Emma which has grown and grown.
With her doctorate in philosophy under her wing, Emma has gone on to integrate sign language and dance for children and families around the world- in fact, she has opened up the experience for everyone. As such, Emma makes the fun and joy, and learning, ever more accessible to a wide range of people.
“At the time I felt that I really needed to do the research for the PhD and that was super important and now three years on, yeah, it has just been everything. Everything around the research project has taught me so much.”
Elvin Melvin, her Emma Memma collaborator, has strengthened the mission. It was chemistry at first dance for these two who have now gone on to tour extensively, make TV programs, choreograph routines and connect with more families worldwide.
Emma describes their meeting as quite unique, happenstance leading her to be part of a performance that required dance and sign language. While Emma said she wasn’t the exact right person for the job, she wanted to help out and she met Elvin through a friend who was teaching an adult ballet class.
“We met in a dance studio and there was no interpreter because we couldn’t get one and I obviously had very basic skills back then but Elvin was so patient, he came in and then, most of our first meeting, which is super strange because it is on video, is not actually having a conversation, it’s actually just us dancing together.
“It is so magical, anyway Elvin and I became the best of friends and we just felt that we were meant to be friends through this meeting and we both loved dance and I have always been inspired by his story, learning dance and sign language as an adult.”
Emma met Elvin 15 years after he had arrived in Melbourne to learn sign language and ballet. Elvin was born Deaf. He grew up in Hong Kong, in a hearing family and went through regular, mainstream school learning Cantonese. Emma was incredulous that he made it through his entire schooling with no sign language accessibility whatsoever.
“You can see that his personality is sooooo, so inherently expressive. He has obviously grown up with a strong sense of visual language, acquiring language along the way.”
Elvin has been along for the ride since the beginning of Emma Memma.
“He is one of the most creative and expressive people in this country.”
There are more chapters to Emma’s life preceding her new character, that show her grit and resilience. Emma received a scholarship to study dance at high school, The McDonald College. After she painfully broke her coccyx and cracked her spine in a dancing incident, she shifted her focus to film studies. All the way through, a love of dance and movement and creativity- visual stories- was at the fore.
Emma also battled through endometriosis while performing with The Wiggles. She said it was quite taboo to miss a live show back then but has been glad to be authentic about the journey and is pleased that taking leave is now better understood. As women who have endometriosis know, it is ongoing and still not entirely understood.
During her time at The Wiggles, she had some hard days, of pain and discomfort. Her pain threshold is high but she has learned to act when she feels symptoms.
“I think I was fairly determined, even at a young age.”
This shines through as Emma has rebuilt and healed in a way that has been most meaningful to her. This in turn has impacted her positive role in society and the way she can contribute to community.
“That has essentially changed the trajectory of the last eight years for me and has shaped a lot of conversation about being a lot more open.”
Emma has been a positive advocate, helping to raise awareness for endometriosis.
During her time at The Wiggles, Emma was often encouraged to sign with families during meet and greet sessions as the only one in the room with any basic sign knowledge.
Emma wanted to learn as much as she could.
“I am glad I was thrown into the deep end because that really taught me how to let my guard down and take upon the challenge.”
Emma started to notice the families during the show, watching them watch the show. She noticed a broken sense of communication.
“It wasn’t necessarily problematic it is just that I noticed that different family members were not understanding our show entirely by ways of interpretation or we weren’t delivering our communication that clearly for the interpreter to then interpret that to the family- and that kind of got my thinking about why can’t we just make the show accessible and then we may not have to worry about this.”
“That’s essentially where my curiosity started and also I started to notice that lots of different families were not actually using the same form of communication, in most cases in particular, with Deaf children, they are born to hearing parents so there is already different languages going on.”
Now, in her role as Emma Memma, there is no day that goes by where Emma is not signing with her colleagues. She enjoys being a conduit, connecting people with Deaf teachers, professionals and organisations across Australia, creating opportunity and conversation.
“It’s not my primary language so I basically open the gate,” smiles Emma.
“It feels that we (hearing individuals) as a community member should take on the responsibility of learning lots of languages because I do have hearing and I do have sight, I should be able to learn as many things as possible to help other people or be a conduit of communication.”
So Emma has now had many experiences, living as a unique type of popstar on the road with The Wiggles, rehearsing and performing for countless hours. Her research and practice has helped refine her craft in an assortment of ways but it is her means of connection that has allowed her to truly make meaningful change for children and families.
Emma points out that 90 per cent of our communication is visual, regardless, so wonders why we cannot integrate more avenues for connection.
“The preschool age group is the perfect age group to start these conversations.”
Emma wants to ensure that everyone can be involved and everyone can access the project- the main thread through that is a sense of play.
“You want children to feel excited and part of the adventure and how does that play extend the time of the child’s attention enough to inform what going on it behind it. So play is used as a vehicle, obviously it is the most important learning vehicle of life, regardless of age- but in terms of entertainment if it is playful and fun, then you’ve got everyone’s attention.”
It goes to show, life has a way of leading us to areas where meaning is derived. For Emma, it has always been dance- but that dance holds a vast landscape that has spanned over time as she has matured, revealing visual stories and meaning that is there to create fun, light, hope, connection- and an ongoing link to play.
“It is really how do we provide these experiences not just for arts but everything.”
Hear the Full Interview with Emma Watkins on
For the Love of Play Podcast
Article by Sinead Halliday
Photography Courtesy of Emma Memma