Soho Media Club has announced the lineup for the 3rd edition of the annual media culture festival, BE YOU, set to take place on July 11th, 2024, at the Ministry of Sound in Elephant and Castle.
This year’s event will feature speakers including journalist and presenter Alex Brooker, satirist, presenter, and producer Munya, and renowned drag performer Kitty Scott Claus.
Alex Brooker, co-presenter of the award winning show The Last Leg on Channel 4, will be interviewed on stage by Cimran Shah, Commissioner at Channel 4 for a discussion to on how the Last Leg has contributed to normalising disability in mainstream media and what still needs to be done to accelerate positive change.
Alex Brooker said, “I want the next wave of talent to feel inspired and empowered to build careers in film and TV, confident that their voices will be heard. There’s still much work needed to achieve proper disability representation, both behind and in front of the camera. I’m eager to share my knowledge and stories, and I also look forward to hearing from younger talent and having an honest conversation about creating a safe and equal industry.”
Satirist, presenter, and producer Munya Chawawa will participate in a panel discussion entitled, “The Futuremakers: Giving a voice to a new generation”, moderated by film director, actor, singer and screenwriter, Islah Abdur-Rahman, to share his experiences of how he made the transition into TV and overcame cultural barriers.
This year’s programme also addresses the development of LGBTQ+ representation on screen and in production crews and discusses not just who is represented, but how. Moderated by Founder of TV Mindset & Chair of Coalition for Change, Adeel Amini – the panel features Curator, Host and Personality, Producer, Ryan Lanji and I Kissed a Girl, Cara Bruce.
Discussions will also include the impact of broadcaster schemes and strategies, tips for young filmmakers on breaking into the industry, and how creatives can push the boundaries with artificial intelligence tools.
This year’s speaker lineup also includes Marcia Williams, Executive Director, Equity & Inclusion, Channel 4; David Carrigan, Group Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing, Sky; Sonny Hanley, Director, ITV Academy, ITV; Marcus Ryder, CEO, Film & TV Charity; Jason Arday, Professor of Sociology of Education, University of Cambridge; Franky Murray Brown, Filmmaker, Dalton’s Dreams; Eddie Hamilton, Film Editor; Cimran Shah, Commissioner, Channel 4; Claire Tavernier, Senior Media Advisor and Chair, UK Film & TV Charity; Maureen Kerr, Partner, Arthur D. Little; Dhruti Shah, Multi-Award-Winning Journalist and Author; Ebele Tate, Writer-Director Producer and Danielle Goff, Film Producer.
Co-founder of Soho Media Club, Tomasz Witkowski says, “Today’s speaker announcement features three incredible personalities who are doing important advocacy work in their respective fields. All the outstanding featured speakers announced today further solidify what promises to be a momentous and eventful festival program.”
New to the programme this year are 2 workshops: How to Write, Prep and Pitch Your Unscripted Show, led by Murray James, Creative Director, Unscripted, Fulwell 73 and Overcoming mindset blockers for leadership success, led by Dr. Shawn Chrisman and Kim Spikes, ACC.
Co-founder of Soho Media Club, Jaisica Lapsiwala says, “This is Soho Media Club’s third edition of the BE YOU Festival and it’s back with a bang! Along with covering topical themes and bringing inspiring speakers to the stage for panels, interviews, workshops and a Festival Party, we are building an active community of talented changemakers to move the dial and change the narrative of the media industry.”
BE YOU takes place on 11th July 2024 at the Ministry of Sound, London. More information and tickets are available at www.sohomediaclub.com/beyou
Jon Creamer
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