FIRST SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR CREATIVE CITIES CONVENTION 2020

Fiona Campbell, Sinead Rocks and Ben Frow are amongst the first speakers confirmed for the convention in Glasgow on 23-24 April.

BBC Three Controller Fiona Campbell will talk about her strategy for reaching different parts of the UK when she speaks at this year's Creative Cities Convention on April 23rd and 24th at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. Commissioning more homegrown programmes and casting contributors from different parts of the country are a priority for Fiona and she will discuss how she's collaborating with digital teams to deliver content that cuts through for young audiences.

Announcing the first tranche of names in the 2020 convention line-up, director Ruth Pitt said We're delighted that once again some of the industry's biggest players are joining us to discuss and celebrate the fantastic growth of media production outside London.

Managing Director of Channel 4 Nations and Regions Sinead Rocks will update the Creative Cities Convention on the broadcaster's move out of London, reflecting on the recent launch of brand new hubs in Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol and the challenge of building the talent base to match production growth across the UK.

Channel 5's Ben Frow will return to the convention this year in his newly expanded role as Director of Programmes for all Viacom's UK content including Comedy Central and MTV. He will also update on the broadcaster's commitment to improving the diversity of the companies it works with.

Continuing the theme, ITV's Head of Diversity Ade Rawcliffe will be joined by TV changemakers to discuss how the industry can improve the diversity of the workforce outside London.

Also on the agenda and reflecting the convention's Going Global' theme is a timely session: Can TV Save The Planet? With the COP26 UN climate change summit taking place in Glasgow later this year, and the greatest ever gathering of world leaders on UK soil descending on the city, Creative Cities Convention 2020 will ask how producers can influence global opinions on climate change and sustainability.

Maramedia's Creative Director Nigel Pope will introduce Stormborn, a global co-commission between BBC Scotland, Arte in France and joint US venture Love Nature, which is a partnership between international giants the Smithsonian Channel and Blue Ant Media. Nigel will be joined on stage by partners including Love Nature's Vice President of Development and Production, Alison Barrat.

UK drama is having a big global moment too. Synchronicity's Managing Director Claire Mundell will talk about the company's international activity and discusses the making of The Cry, set across Scotland and Australia. The opportunity in high end TV drama is more global than ever and at Synchronicity we are developing a range of shows to speak to an international audience, exploring universal themes but also rooted in Scotland in some way , says Claire.

Craig Hunter, Creative Director, STV Productions, will talk about his big decision to come home to Glasgow to take up this role after five years in London as a BBC commissioner.

Glasgow's own Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer will open the convention by looking back on twenty years of making property shows together. And once again the convention will be hosted by broadcaster Kirsty Wark, helped this year by comedy writer and actor Sanjeev Kohli.

Further speakers including international media figures will be announced regularly in the lead up to the convention, whose stakeholders are Pact, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - and for 2020, Scottish commercial broadcaster STV.

Early-bird tickets are available until 14th February at a cost of £155, with additional discounts for group bookings and students. To buy a ticket and find out more about the Creative Cities Convention, visit www.creativecitiesconvention.com

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