The Edinburgh TV Festival and its umbrella charity, the TV Foundation have appointed Rowan Woods as creative director and Gemma Bradshaw as programme director.
Rowan Woods, the head of Episodic & Series Programme for the BFI London Film Festival, has been appointed as the new creative director of The Edinburgh TV Festival, replacing Stewart Clarke who leaves the role after four Festivals.
Gemma Bradshaw joins the team in the role of programmes director at the TV Foundation, the charity which owns the Edinburgh TV Festival, replacing Sarah Vignoles who leaves after four years in the role.
Woods is a respected film and TV curator, acquisitions executive and festival consultant, responsible for launching and running the BFI’s TV-facing programme since 2021, including high profile gala screenings of Emmy Award winners Succession and Dopesick, episodic work by Yeon Sang-ho, Lars von Trier, Clea Duvall and Lulu Wang, and world premieres including Hugo Blick’s The English, J Blakeson’s Culprits and Theresa Ikoko’s Grime Kids. In addition to pivotal roles at the British Council, BBC Films and AMC Networks, she also spent five years at the start of her career as a radio and TV producer for the BBC’s flagship film and culture programmes.
Starting in the role this month, Woods will be responsible for driving the creative direction of the Festival. As well as curating its programme, she will be devising new ways to connect the TV industry and showcase creative excellence.
Previously, Bradshaw was the Director of One World Media – the not-for-profit organisation that supports journalists and filmmakers in reporting across the world – with a focus on growing their support for new talent covering global stories.
Bradshaw started her career in public policy before a move to the US working in the documentary industry as Director of Programs for the Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA), and prior to that as COO of the San Francisco Green Film Festival. In her role at the TV Foundation, she will be leading the TV Foundation’s work across the various initiatives, including flagship programmes The Network and Ones to Watch, that give access and opportunity to underrepresented groups across the UK, to enter the TV industry.
Woods and Bradshaw’s roles will continue to report into ceo Campbell Glennie who oversees both the Festival and Foundation’s work and their strategic visions.
Glennie said: “Rowan and Gemma are joining us at a time where we look forward to 2024 and our ambitious plans to make the Edinburgh TV Festival and the TV Foundation’s programmes even more inclusive and accessible, something I know they are both passionate about. As established leaders in their fields they will bring a wealth of new experience to write our next chapter. Those who have worked with them before know how lucky we are to have them on board and I can’t wait to start building our future with them.”
Bradshaw added: “The TV Foundation does so much to make TV more open, where new ideas and stories thrive. As someone who started their career outside the creative industry, I’m thrilled to be able to play my part now to demystify it for new and emerging talent so they can make their mark on the programmes we all want to see.”
Woods commented: “The Edinburgh TV Festival is one of the crown jewels of Edinburgh’s festival season, with an international reputation for agenda-setting debate and real cultural cut-through across the whole media landscape. It’s such an exciting time to be joining, as both the TV industry and the festival landscape undergo seismic changes. I can’t wait to be part of leading the Festival into its new era.”
Pippa Considine
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