Edge Hill University Institute for Creative Enterprise

Northern Powerhouse and Film Policy 30th September 2015

PROFILES

Eddie Berg - Strategist/Consultant/Producer, Film, Creative, and Cultural Sectors Eddie Berg is an independent consultant specialising in film, digital and media arts with a successful track record of establishing and leading major cultural venues, capital projects and strategic change, as well as building new audiences, resources, world-class teams and wide-ranging national and international partnerships.

From 2005 - 2014 he worked at the BFI, firstly as Artistic Director of BFI Southbank (leading the transformation of the venue) and then as Director of Partnerships where he was responsible for leading the BFI’s lottery investment in film exhibition, education and skills across the UK.

He is also the Founder and former Director of the £11m FACT Centre in which opened to popular and critical acclaim in 2003. Prior to that he was Founding Director of Video Positive, the UK's first major international festival of video and new media art. The biennial event featured commissioned works by both established and emerging artists and was a showcase for technological innovation.

Eddie Berg is also Chair of ICE's External Advisory Group.

Roy Boulter - Producer, , Liverpool Roy runs Liverpool based production company, Hurricane Films, with Sol Papadopoulos. Prior to producing, Roy was a musician - drummer with the Liverpool band, The Farm - and a screen writer for Brookside, Hollyoaks, and for Jimmy McGovern's drama The Street.

He has co-produced four feature films, 'Under the Mud'; 's feature doc', '; and Terence Davies's two most recent feature films, 'Sunset Song' and ''. 'Sunset Song', produced in 2014, stars Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan and Kevin Guthrie; 'A Quiet Passion', shot in 2015, features American actor Cynthia Nixon as the acclaimed and reclusive, American poet, .

The movies produced by Hurricane Films have been selected for Cannes, Sydney, Toronto, Edinburgh and London film festivals.

Sindy Campbell - Manager, Film Birmingham Sindy Campbell heads up Film Birmingham, which is Birmingham City Council’s Film Office. As part of its Film Charter, Birmingham City Council is committed to making filming as easy and efficient as possible, providing a free service for the film and television industry, and offering a one stop shop for filming requests. The use of the city as a film or tv location has grown rapidly in recent years under Sindy's stewardship, as the impact of regional film funds from Screen West Midlands and Creative England have been felt within the local film economy. ICE - Northern Powerhouse and Film Policy, 30th September 2015 Page 1 of 6

Sindy has also developed a wider role for Film Birmingham, facilitating film previews, regional premieres and television drama showcases, which complement the location specific role with a more cultural one, whilst drawing on her prior background working with FIERCE, an annual showcase of radical and experimental theatre.

Erica Clarke - Partnership Manager, Creative Skillset Building on a dozen years of experience of working at Liverpool's Lime Pictures, Erica's current role at Creative Skillset as Partnership Manager brings her into contact and collaboration across the north with creative and digital companies - in TV, animation, games, VFX, film, fashion and textiles, and advertising and marketing communications - for whom Creative Skillset can provide co investment and other support measures.

Professor John Diamond - I4P Director, Edge Hill University Professor John Diamond is the Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Professional Practice at Edge Hill University. In 2014 he contributed to the Voluntary Sector North West Report – Devolution, Our Devolution. John has worked with the North West Regional Youth Work Unit on a number of different initiatives from compiling a dictionary of new terms and language for working across agencies to their Youth Parliament project and their recent report into Youth Employment – Simple Truths (2014). In 2015 he was invited to give the Annual Keib Thomas Memorial Lecture in London. He is currently the national chair of a charitable organisation the Association for Research with Voluntary and Community Organisations (ARVAC) and an independent director of the Lancashire based consortium Greater Together.

He has had extensive experience of working as an evaluator for a range of agencies (including the Youth Justice Board, the Cheshire Children’s Fund, a number of regeneration agencies, the NHS, national charities and regional voluntary sector organisations). In 2014 he was a co-researcher on a national study funded by the Webb Memorial Trust which examined the role of Fairness Commissions and is working on a follow up study. He is co-editor of an annual series – Critical Perspectives on International Public Sector Management (published by Emerald) and is co-editor of the Sage journal Teaching Public Administration. He has externally examined PhDs at the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Bedfordshire and DBA at Napier. He is currently an external examiner at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Professor Philip Drake - Head of Dept., Dept of Media, Edge Hill University Philip Drake is Head of the Department of Media, and Professor in Film, Media and Communications. He joined Edge Hill in 2013, having previously worked as Reader and Director of Research in the School of Media and Performing Arts at Middlesex University, and in a range of roles in the Department of Film, Media and Journalism at University of Stirling including as a Deputy Director in the School of Arts and Humanities, Director of MSc. Media Management and Co-Director MA Film Studies, as well as member of the Stirling Media Research Institute. He has taught and researched film, media and urban studies since 1997, also previously working at UWS as Lecturer in Media and Culture and University of as Research Fellow in City Development.

He is currently also academic principal investigator on an AHRC NESTA Digital R&D for the Arts funded research project on VOD digital film distribution with Film London and We Are Colony, which runs from 2014-15. See www.wearecolony.com

ICE - Northern Powerhouse and Film Policy, 30th September 2015 Page 2 of 6 Neil Harris - Senior Relationship Manager, Arts Council England Neil Harris is based in Manchester who’s remit covers combined arts, creative media, creative industries, talent development and local stakeholder relationships. Neil graduated from University in 1999 with a bachelor of arts in visual arts & culture and a postgraduate diploma in Art Gallery & Museum studies from Manchester University. A commissioned artist and curator, Neil has 15+ years experience working in the cultural sector including 7 years within a local authority context as a specialist in Arts & Regeneration. He is passionate about the role of the arts and artist’s in effecting positive social change.

Hugo Heppell - Head of Investments, Screen Yorkshire, Leeds Hugo Heppell has led the investment fund at Screen Yorkshire since it was established in the early 2000's, securing increased commitments from its original backers. His role at Screen Yorkshire includes the sourcing of projects for investment, followed by creative and executive oversight of the projects backed.

Building on an initial film financing model, via the European Regional Development Fund, Hugo has developed, and expanded, Screen Yorkshire's investments to take in television dramas and games. His most recent exec producing credits include the films, 'Dad's Army, 'Bill' and 'Swallows and Amazons', which follow on from award successes such as 'Testament of Youth' and ''71.' Hugo's television responsibilities as exec producer include 'Black Work' and 'Peaky Blinders.'

The recent announcement of a film studio in Yorkshire, a project initiated by Screen Yorkshire, is a testament to the emerging strength of the film economy in the 'white rose' county.

Suzanne Jameson - Head of Creative Economy, Liverpool City Council Suzanne Jameson has an electronic engineering background and has worked in operations, marketing, technical roles across a range of ICT and Media companies including BBC, ITV, Channel 5, Channel 4, Virgin Management Group, and Polygram International.

She was the youngest UK Company Manager within SONY (Sony Independent Network Europe Group). Events experience includes Glastonbury, MTV Ibiza, London Stock Exchange, FutureTechUK Wired. In the public sector she delivered £130 million GBP capital/commercialisation projects under EU Merseyside Objective 1 Programme, and a range of business support, infrastructure and sector skills initiatives spanning both creative and digital/ICT areas. Prior to returning ‘home’ to Liverpool in 2004 Suzanne worked for Grant Thornton Corporate Finance, across the innovative public private partnerships (project finance), and industry leading Capital Markets Groups.

In 2008 she was appointed Strategic Development Manager at Northwest Regional Development Agency, where she was recruited to manage senior level digital/creative accounts and projects, examples ; Google, Disney, Turner Broadcasting, Lime Pictures, IBM, Cisco, MTV. During this period she managed the pipeline of digital and creative inward investment activity from USA/Canada, India, China, Japan, Australia, including at MediaCityUK, the largest digital infrastructure project in Europe. Previously a national advisory group member of Regions & Nations Group Creative Industries (UKTI), contributed to coalition government ‘Silicon Roundabout’ pilot , now TechCityUK. Declining a position with PA Consulting in 2011, Suzanne returned to SONY to work on a strategic marketing launch for Simon Cowell’s Syco Label (Modest ! JV), and a range of marketing business development projects for Merseyside SME’s.

She joined Liverpool City Council in Spring 2015.

ICE - Northern Powerhouse and Film Policy, 30th September 2015 Page 3 of 6 John Maxwell - Liverpool Screen School, Liverpool John Moore University John Maxwell teaches Screen Writing at the Liverpool Screen School, which is part of the Liverpool John Moores University. He is also a producer and film maker, directing most recently the gothic steampunk fantasy, 'Violet City.'

Derek Murray - Edge Hill University; Inspiral Films Derek is an award winning television documentary filmmaker, creative director and moving image production educator. He currently develops, produces and creatively directs both virtual reality (VR) and conventional films and other types of digital media projects under the radar for museums, cinema, TV, mobile and the web. He is a senior lecturer in VR Media, Film and Television production at Edge Hill University and a serial collaborator whose interests are in: VR applications for consumer devices, creative documentary, story development, museum/gallery video installations, disruptive technologies, media interventions, maverick solutions for internal corporate communications, research, experimentation and knowledge exchange.

Sol Papadopoulos - Producer, Hurricane Films, Liverpool Sol runs Liverpool based production company, Hurricane Films, with .

A winner of six Royal Television awards, a US Cine Golden Eagle and with two BAFTA nominations, Sol has also produced over thirty shorts and co-produced four feature films, 'Under the Mud'; Terence Davies's feature doc', 'Of Time and the City'; and Terence Davies's two most recent feature films, 'Sunset Song' and 'A Quiet Passion'.

'Sunset Song', produced in 2014, stars Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan and Kevin Guthrie; 'A Quiet Passion', shot in 2015, features American actor Cynthia Nixon as the acclaimed and reclusive, American poet, Emily Dickinson.

The movies produced by Hurricane Films have been selected for Cannes, Sydney, Toronto, Edinburgh and London film festivals.

Carol Poole - Ambassador to Media City, Edge Hill University Carol Poole is the University's Ambassador to MediaCityUK, the international hub for the creative and digital sectors and home to the BBC, ITV, Coronation Street and SIS.

Carol steered the Create and Connect partnership between the BBC and Edge Hill University and was a member of the North-West Universities Association advisory panel for Culture, Media and Sport at the time of the MediaCityUK development.

For the last five years she has been a jury member for the Hong Kong and Chinese Region International Student Film Festival; The International Film Festival at FAMO and The International Film Festival at the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School at Lodz.

Nik Powell - Director, National Film and Television School In the early 1970's Nik Powell set up Virgin Records with Richard Branson and in the space of ten years the pair turned a small mail-order record operation into a multi-million pound conglomerate. In 1982 Powell went into partnership with Stephen Woolley, having sold out from Virgin in the previous year. Together they formed Palace Video, followed by Palace Pictures, and then Palace Productions, soon establishing each as highly regarded entities within the film distribution and production industry. Powell has acted as Executive Producer on all of Palace's productions including

ICE - Northern Powerhouse and Film Policy, 30th September 2015 Page 4 of 6 Neil Jordan's COMPANY OF WOLVES, OSCAR NOMINATED MONA LISA, Michael Caton-Jones' SCANDAL, and Neil Jordan's multi Oscar nominated THE CRYING GAME.

Nik and Stephen Woolley's new company Scala produced Iain Softley's BACKBEAT, Terence Davies' THE NEON BIBLE, Shane Meadows' TWENTYFOUR: SEVEN, Mark Herman's Oscar and Golden Globe nominated LITTLE VOICE, Fred Schepisis' LAST ORDERS starring Michael Caine, , Tom Courtenay, Helen Mirren, David Hemmings and Ray Winstone, Charles Dance's LADIES IN LAVENDER, starring Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Miriam Margolis and Daniel Bruer and Nik also executive produced CALENDAR GIRLS.

Nik was appointed Director of the National Film and Television School in 2005, although he remains as non-executive chairman of Scala Productions. He is also: • Vice Chairman of the board of the European Film Academy and previously for 9 years the Chairman of EFA and host of the European Film Awards • Chairman of the BAFTA Film committee and member of the BAFTA Board of Trustees • Vice Chairman of the GEECT (association of a European film schools) Board • Member of the board of NAHEMI (Association of British film schools) • Member of the US academy: AMPAS (Association of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) • Director of the board of the Northern Ireland Film and TV Commission and Chairman of its Film Investment Fund Committee 2003 to 2007 • Member of British Screen Advisory Council • Member of European Producers Club • Member of the Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards • Vice President of the National Society for Epilepsy • Chevalier dans l'ordre des arts et lettres • Member and often Chair of juries for major festivals such as Sundance, Locarno, Moscow and of many awards juries including BAFTA and European film awards.

Lynn Saunders - Manager, Liverpool Film Office Lynn Saunders heads up the Liverpool Film Office, and has been instrumental during her 25 years in post in establishing the city of Liverpool as the second most filmed in city, after London, in the UK. The Liverpool Film Office supports and facilitates all types and aspects of production in Liverpool and the city region with a team of experienced film professionals, provided as a free service including location finding, permissions and liaison, parking, traffic control, sourcing local labour and suppliers etc. Hundreds of feature films, adverts, animations, documentaries, TV dramas, shorts, student films, soap dramas, reality TV episodes inter alia are facilitated each year by the L F O under Lynn's supervision and guidance. The L F O was the first location specific Film Office in the country, established in the late 1980's, and will soon play a significant role in the emergence of the council backed Liverpool Film Studios, which will be housed in the art deco surrounds of the iconic and Hollywoodesque Littlewoods Building.

Professor Roger Shannon - Director, ICE, Edge Hill University Roger Shannon has been a Professor of Film and Television in the department of Media at Edge Hill University since 2008.

After an MA from the University of Birmingham, Roger Shannon's film career began in 1979 in Birmingham as Founding Producer of the Birmingham Film/Video Workshop, which made 25 films/videos for BFI, Arts Council, and Channel 4. He was also Director of the Birmingham International Film and Television Festival from 1985 - 1992. Moving back into developing, producing and financing films, he held film fund and exec producing posts at MIDA in Liverpool, in London at the BFI and the UK Film Council, and in Glasgow at Scottish

ICE - Northern Powerhouse and Film Policy, 30th September 2015 Page 5 of 6 Screen, and has been associated with over 20 UK feature films including 'Festival', 'Butterfly Kiss' and 'Under The Skin' working with ground breaking talents such as Jimmy McGovern, Michael Winterbottom and Frank Cottrell Boyce. His exec productions have won awards at International Film Festivals such as Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, Edinburgh and Berlin.

He is still active in film, most recently as an Adviser for Penny Woolcock’s film, 'One Mile Away' (Winner, Michael Powell Award, Edinburgh Film Festival, 2013.) His other recent credits as Executive Producer include the music documentary, 'Made in Birmingham/Reggae Punk Bhangra', which was nominated for three RTS awards. His University attachments include a Visiting Professorship on the International Producer Workshops at the Cuban Film School.

Professor George Talbot - Pro Vice Chancellor (Research), Edge Hill University George Talbot is a professor of Italian at Edge Hill University, with active research interests in modern history, literature and culture. He has worked at Dublin City University (1991-94) and at the University of Hull (1994-2010), where latterly he was Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, leading the Faculty through phases of expansion, growth and consolidation, in which it enhanced its academic reputation and its financial performance. He is a member of the AHRC Peer Review College and of the international editorial board of the Troubador series of publications in Italian Studies. George joined Edge Hill in 2010.

Neil Watson - Strategy Advisor to the BFI Having begun his career with the Association of Independent Producers in 1985, Neil has worked as an independent consultant to the film industry in UK and Europe since 1991. He is a partner with Lord Puttnam in Atticus Education, an online education business, and he advises Lord Puttnam on a wide range of public policy issues. Neil Watson is a Strategy Adviser to the , advising on industrial and cultural issues including intellectual property and film and broadcasting. He has worked for wide range of other clients in the private and public sectors including major Hollywood studios, the Media Business School and Ateliers du Cinéma Européen. He is a Board member of Ffilm Cymru Wales.

Jason Wood - Artistic Director, Film at HOME and Professor of Film at Manchester Metropolitan University Jason Wood has over twenty years of experience in the UK film industry and a strong affiliation with the cultural and independent sector. Before working at HOME, he was the Programming Manager at Picturehouse, Director of Programming at Curzon Cinemas, and also took a lead role in acquisitions for Artificial Eye. Pina, Ivul, The Deep Blue Sea, Archipelago and The Duke of Burgundy are just some of the films he has been partly responsible for bringing to UK screens. He has curated retrospectives of Peter Whitehead, Atom Egoyan, Wim Wenders, Chris Petit, Nicolas Roeg and Mexican Cinema, has served as a jury member for the London Film Festival, and has worked on the board of CINECITY Film Festival, Brighton. He is the co-director of three documentary features and the author of 10 published works on cinema. His writing has also appeared in , Sight and Sound, Vertigo and SoFilm. Jason is also Professor of Film at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Jo Wright - Executive Director, FACT, Liverpool Jo Wright joined FACT as Executive Director in May 2015. His career has focused exclusively on the creative industries, working across private, public and voluntary sectors for organisations including the Merseyside Music Development Agency, Northwest Regional Development Agency and (most recently) the Welsh Government, where he was responsible for helping Ministers to grow the Welsh creative industries sector. As Executive Director at FACT, he has responsibility for leading the organisation’s commercial operations and strategic development. ICE - Northern Powerhouse and Film Policy, 30th September 2015 Page 6 of 6