Industry insight shared with students at Creative Cities Convention

Television and film industry insiders shared insight and advice at a Creative Cities Convention masterclass hosted by Teesside University.

Creative Cities Convention is a national conference for the television and film industry, taking place in a different location across the country each year.

Newcastle was this year’s host, with Teesside University Students’ Union providing the venue for the masterclasses and talks from industry representatives, who shared their experiences of forging careers in the creative industries.

Speakers were from Channel 4, BBC, ITN, ITV, North-East Screen, independent production companies Fulwell 73 and Middlechild, and gaming company Ubisoft.

Among them was Teesside University graduate Claire Wilson, who worked as a broadcast journalist and is now Head of Partnerships & Development with ITV Signpost.

Claire stressed the importance of networking and encouraged those seeking to pursue a career in the creative industries to “take every opportunity which is made available and let your ambitions be known.”

Also involved in a masterclass panel was another Teesside University graduate, Stephen Uppall, who is now with Creative Writing North.

Stephen, who went from acting to writing and developing a drama series, said: “Be a creative entrepreneur and don’t be afraid of failing. Be brave enough to make mistakes, as you will learn from them.”

Charlotte Nicol, Associate Dean (Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange), in the University’s School of Arts & Creative Industries, said: “This is fantastic time for Teesside University to be part of the Creative Cities Convention and the growth of the film and television industries, playing an important role in developing and nurturing talent in this space.”

Lucy Jolly, Producer of the Student Masterclass for Creative Cities Convention, said: "We were delighted to work with Teesside University to produce the student masterclass. It's a pivotal time for the growth of the screen industry in the North-East and Creative Cities Convention are committed to working with higher education to support young people who are hoping to work in the industry.”

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