Professionals from film, games and television will speak in Cardiff and Glasgow on 28 April and in London on 15-16 September
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will host its flagship festival for aspiring creatives, Guru Live, in three editions across the UK this year.
On Saturday 28 April the festival will take place in Cardiff for the first time, as well as in Glasgow for a second year. Tickets are on sale now at http://guru.bafta.org/live. These include a Guru Live Access Pass for the Glasgow event which will give 20 individuals access to a bespoke programme of one-to-one meetings and career development sessions.
The London edition of Guru Live, now in its third year, will run from 15-16 September, with tickets available in June.
Guru Live is an extension of BAFTA Guru http://guru.bafta.org BAFTA’s online resource that shares advice and inspiration from the best creative minds working in film, games and television, and will feature industry-specific masterclasses, Q&As and panel discussions, as well as cross-sector skills-based sessions led by professionals including BAFTA winners and nominees. Tickets for all individual sessions are priced at £6.
Tim Hunter, Director of Learning and New Talent at BAFTA, said: “Guru Live has quickly become one of my favourite events in the BAFTA calendar, bringing to life the insights from our BAFTA Guru site and creating a dialogue between emerging and more established talent. It’s fantastic that this year we’re in Wales as well as Scotland and England, enabling more people to hear first-hand from industry experts, and to network with their peers.”
Hannah Raybould, Director of BAFTA Cymru, said: “Bringing the popular Guru Live to Wales has been a priority for BAFTA Cymru and we are very pleased to be working with fantastic partners to offer access to professionals working on some of the UK’s most popular programmes such as Blue Planet, Peaky Blinders and Doctor Foster. This festival will be a brilliant addition to the 100 events we already programme across Wales and we hope it means we reach individuals who are yet to engage with our activities and that they become members and frequent guests.”
Jude MacLaverty, Director of BAFTA Scotland, said: “Guru Live’s debut in Glasgow in 2017 was a tremendous success and so we’re thrilled to produce it again in April 2018. We’ve got an inspiring day planned, with some of the biggest names in the Scottish television, film and game sectors ready to share their top tips on breaking into a notoriously difficult industry. There’s a never-ending pool of emerging talent in Scotland and this is a terrific opportunity for practitioners to not only get invaluable industry advice and guidance, but to build a network of contacts to help them as they embark on their creative careers.”
Confirmed speakers at Guru Live in Cardiff include: producer Kate Crowther (Doctor Foster); executive producer Brian Minchin (Sherlock); series script editor Sheena Bucktowonsing (Doctor Who); location managers Finlay Bradbury (Wonder Woman, Spectre, Thor) and Gareth Skelding (Britannia, Sherlock); costme designer Ray Holman (Liar, Broadchurch, Doctor Who); Katie Goode Creative Director at BAFTA-nominated games studio Triangular Pixels (Unseen Diplomacy); BBC Talent Manager Catherine Morrissey; and the researchers, producer and camera team behind Blue Planet II.
Speakers at Guru Live in Glasgow include: directors Michael Keillor (Line of Duty, Strike: The Cuckoo’s Calling) and Louise Lockwood (Fair Isle: Living on the Edge); broadcaster/writer Muriel Gray; writer Ben Tagoe (Coronation Street); Katie Lander, Joint MD at Finestripe Productions (Inside Dior, Bank of Dave, Teenage Millionaire); Michael McAvoy, Head of Documentaries and Branded Content at STV Productions; Phil Edgar Jones, Director of Sky Arts; and crew members behind the television drama Outlander.
Speakers for Guru Live in London will be announced in the coming months.
For full event details and bookings, go to http://guru.bafta.org/live.
Follow Guru Live by using #GuruLIVE and following BAFTA Guru on Twitter and YouTube.
GURU LIVE PANELS AND SESSIONS:
CARDIFF – Saturday 28 April, Cardiff and Vale College:
- Masterclass: Blue Planet II
- Producing Your First Hour
- Craft Session: Locations
- Craft Session: Costume
- The Ladder: Games
- Bookable One-to-One Meetings
Guru Live Cardiff is supported by The Galashan Trust. Sessions are hosted in partnership with Into Film Cymru, My First Job in Film and Directors UK. The Wrap Party is sponsored by Wales Screen. Water is provided by Acqua Panna/San Pellegrino.
GLASGOW – Saturday 28 April, Lighthouse Glasgow:
- Masterclass: Outlander, Behind the Scenes
- Directing Your First Hour
- The Ladder: TV
- The Ladder: Film
- My Worst
- Workshop: Design a Game
- One-to-one Meetings (exclusive to Guru Live Access Pass holders)
For further information, please contact:
BAFTA Cymru PR (Cardiff)
Lydia Jones at Working Word
T: +44 (0) 029 2045 5182 / 07980 444660
BAFTA Scotland PR (Glasgow)
Gillian Lamont at Wire
T: +44 (0)141 648 9610 / 07738 271 568
BAFTA (London)
Niyi Akeju
T: +44 (0)20 7292 5863
For event photography, logos, accreditation and more, visit www.bafta.org/media-centre
About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.
BAFTA Wales – or BAFTA Cymru – extends the Academy’s charitable mission across the UK in support of Wales’ creative communities. The highlight of its events calendar is the annual British Academy Cymru Awards, an independent platform showcasing work that reflects the best of the country’s film, television and games output, inspiring practitioners whilst informing the public. www.bafta.org/wales.
BAFTA Scotland has been championing the country’s film, television and game industries since 1989, celebrating and rewarding excellence through its annual British Academy Scotland Awards and BAFTA in Scotland New Talent Awards. BAFTA in Scotland is at the core of Scotland’s screen industries, regularly engaging its members and the wider industry while reaching out to the public via a comprehensive range of screenings, educational events and masterclasses. www.bafta.org/scotland.
