Teacher who quit job due to perform at Glastonbury

Jayahadadream won her place at Glastonbury by winning the festival's Emerging Talent Competition in April

A rapper who gave up teaching earlier this year to pursue music has said performing at Glastonbury Festival is proof she is living her dream.

Cambridge-born JayaHadADream, whose name is Jaya Gordon-Moore, won the festival's Emerging Talent Competition earlier this year.

The 24-year-old said she inherited a love of music from her family and takes inspiration from her Irish and Jamaican heritage.

"It's one of the best moments of my life so far," she said.

'Strength and resilience'

JayaHadADream has the prestigious role of opening the Woodsies stage on Sunday and will also appear elsewhere across the site over the weekend.

She said she used to be "really shy" and her work was a reflection of her finding her voice through music, while honouring her heritage at the same time.

The artist added that she grew up sometimes feeling like an outsider, which also influenced her music.

She said: "I come from a very working-class background, where I would be one of the only non-white people in my school.

"Also I'm a female in a genre that is mostly male dominated."

"In Jamaican culture there is a lot of activism, rebellion, fighting for justice and a lot of my music reflects that.

"Also being Irish, it's the same thing. A lot of rebellion," she said.

"My grandfather came over in the Windrush generation and worked to build a life here - same with my Irish family. I want to reflect and recognise the richness of our cultures and not just some stereotypes around both cultures.

"I want to reflect the strength and resilience and the colourfulness of the cultures," she added.

When asked about performing at Glastonbury, she said: "It's one of the best moments of my life so far.

"I'm excited to see the different designs of the stages. I'm really excited to immerse myself."