2 Opportunities in Bristol, UK

Closing date to sign up: Sunday 4th February at 11.59pm

Event date: Wednesday 7th February

Time: 5pm - 7pm

Location: BBC’s Natural History Unit in Bristol, BBC Studios, Bridgewater House, Counterslip BS1 6BX

Are you looking to learn more about the creative industries and opportunities in Bristol?

We're showcasing the breadth and depth of creativity in the West of England through an in-person creative industries event! Join us at the BBC’s Natural History Unit in Bristol on 7th February from 5pm – 7pm.

Our panel is:

• Nancy Medina, Artistic Director - Bristol Old Vic
• Lorna Harrington, Senior Designer - Aardman Animations
• Sunita Ramani, Account Manager - Greenhouse Communications
• Saphia Abrahamovitch- Venner, Assistant curator - Spike Island
• Chase Mnatzaganian, Assistant Producer, BBC Natural History Unit
• Zulekha Afzal, Assistant Editor - John Murray Press

The event aims to give those from backgrounds that are historically under-represented across the creative industries a chance to hear from industry professionals to encourage them to pursue careers they might not otherwise have thought of. We will hear from professionals across the creative sector on their career journey and insights, followed by a Q&A with questions from the audience, as well as the chance for you to network and build connections with likeminded people.

Meet our panel:

• Lorna Harrington, senior designer at Aardman Animations: Lorna is a Bristol based creative with a passion and love for all things design. For the last 6 years, she has worked at the award-winning studio behind Shaun the Sheep, Morph and Wallace & Gromit, on a wide range of projects from marketing campaigns, branding, motion graphics and merchandise. More recently Lorna teamed up with local artist Dave Bain to create a bespoke mural for Cabot Circus, showcasing Aardman's most loved characters and Bristol landmarks in the heart of the city. Beyond Aardman, Lorna is a Designer and Illustrator in her own right, collaborating with brands such as Dr Martens, Fy, BBC Earth and Wildscreen Festival.
• Nancy Medina, artistic director at Bristol Old Vic. Her first production for the theatre Choir Boy last October garnered 5 start reviews and has just been nominated for the WhatsonStage Awards for “Best Regional Production”. As a director, her further credits include The Darkest Part of the Night (Kiln Theatre), Moreno (Theatre503), Trouble in Mind (National Theatre) and The Half God Of Rainfall (Fuel / Birmingham Rep / Kiln Theatre). She is a recipient of the following awards - 2020/2021 Peter Hall Bursary (National Theatre), 2018 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award (Royal & Derngate/English Touring Theatre), 2017 Genesis Future Director Award (Young Vic) and 2014 Emerging Director’s Prize (Tobacco Factory Theatres). She was a visiting director at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and was joint Artistic Director and founder of the Bristol School of Acting.
• Saphia Abrahamovitch-Venner, assistant curator at Spike Island: Saphia coordinates creative practice development programme Spike Island Associates, as well as curating events for children, young people and local residents. Her curatorial interests centre around collaborative practices, with a focus on supporting emerging creatives and promoting diversity in the creative industries. She was a member of the inaugural 2022-23 Creative Access Steering Group, and has worked with organisations including the British Council, London College of Fashion and Bow Arts. 
• Sunita Ramani, account manager at Greenhouse Communications: In her current role Sunita supports businesses, organisations and activists to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis. She has a background in grassroots campaigning and is passionate about finding creative and exciting ways to engage people with environmental justice. She is an expert presenter and facilitator and has led communications training for global organisations in the environmental space. Sunita has attended the annual COP climate conference for the last two years in a row, supporting the food systems community to accelerate action to tackle the dual climate and food systems crises.
• Chase Mnatzaganian, assistant producer at the BBC: Chase entered the TV industry through a Creative Access internship with BBC 2's Springwatch. They have since worked on a range of TV series including BBC America's 'Eden: Untamed Planet'; BBC 1''s 'Dogs in the Wild' and most recently 'HOME', an ambitious commission for National Geographic. Chase has always found arts and the natural world interesting and is looking forward to continuing to make natural history programmes engaging for a broad audience.
• Zulekhá Afzal, assistant editor at John Murray Press (Hachette UK): One of the first local recruits by Hachette to its Bristol office in 2022, Zulekhá is assistant editor for the literary crime list at John Murray Press. She is also an author in her own right, and her young adult fantasy debut Danceers of the Dawn is out in June 2024 with Rock the Boat (Oneworld).

This event is aimed at people under-represented in the creative industries. This includes, but is not limited to Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates, disabled people, those undergoing gender reassignment / transitioning and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

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