The 2023 BE YOU
content programme
Stay tuned.
13 JULY 2023 | SOHO | LONDON
09.30 - 10.00
Registration & Welcome
Attend at HERE at Outernet
10.00 - 10.10
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Welcome to the BE YOU Festival
Tomasz Witkowski & Jaisica Lapsiwala, Co-founders, Soho Media Club
Muki Kulhan, Chief Innovation Officer, XR Producer & Creative Technologist
10.10 - 10.45
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Agents of Change: Fireside Chat with Sir Lenny Henry
BE YOU Festival Headliner
Soho Media Club’s Resident MC, Muki Kulhan leads a dynamic discussion between Sir Lenny Henry and an industry rising star to challenge the status quo, compare and contrast generational experiences and explore what we can all do to accelerate positive change in media.
Sir Lenny Henry, Actor, Comedian, Singer, Television Presenter and Writer
Fauzia Boakye, Actress • Presenter • Content Creator • Researcher
Moderated by: Muki Kulhan, Chief Innovation Officer, XR Producer & Creative Technologist
Sir Lenny Henry
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Fauzia Boakye
Muki Kulhan
10.45 - 11.20
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Panel: Authentic, Inclusive Representation Matters -
Are We Nearly There Yet?
Authentic Stories & Representation
Seeing yourself reflected on screen and behind the camera can be empowering and uplifting. Historically however, the depiction of minorities within storytelling formats has been grounded in pervasive stereotypes and film and TV crews are represented by a global majority. We’re at the start of a more inclusive industry but representation can still end up feeling quite superficial if not done in an authentic way, with the right crew and cast.
This panel explores the concept of responsible & representative storytelling representation behind the camera, and on screen. We ask our panel to draw on examples of how they are leading the change by breaking barriers, empowering new talent and attracting new audiences along the way.
Get an understanding of where we are and where we still need to go and leave with practical tips for creating content which shines light on underrepresented stories and does it well.
Angela Ferreira
Emma Hindley
Angela Ferreira, Managing Director, Douglas Road Productions
Emma Hindley, Lead Commissioning Editor, BBC Storyville
Debbie Ramsay, Commissioning Editor, Youth Strand, News & Current Affairs Channel 4
Moderated by: Annika Allen, Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and
Equity, All3Media
Annika Allen
11.20 - 11.55
Attend at HERE at Outernet
ACCELERATING CHANGE: seeing ABILITY IN DISABILITY
Does our industry offer enough opportunity for the deaf and disabled community? Producer & Co-Director of Deaf and Disabled People in TV, Bryony Arnold; Director Ted Evans and Creative Director, James Rogan come together to talk about the way forward for inclusivity in the industry and solutions to truly embrace the disabled community and creating equitable working environments. The panel will talk about the making of recent productions, including "Signs for Change", featuring Rose Ayling Ellis and "When Barbara Met Alan", written by Jack Thorne and Genevieve Barr and will focus on how the experience of working on these productions gave a new insight into how the creative industries can go about bringing all worlds together.
Bryony Arnold, Drama Producer & Co-Director, DDPTV
Ted Evans, Director
James Rogan, Creative Director, Rogan Productions
Moderated by: Pippa Considine, Associate Editor, Televisual
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Ted Evans
Bryony Arnold,
![JAMES_ROGAN_WEBSITE_PHOTO[54][1][1].jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7508d5_e8e2e7ea839643149b1b387941d9ed16~mv2.jpeg/v1/crop/x_227,y_543,w_2267,h_2018/fill/w_155,h_138,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/JAMES_ROGAN_WEBSITE_PHOTO%5B54%5D%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpeg)
James Rogan
11.55 - 12.00
Attend at HERE at Outernet
ACT ONE: Spoken word
Aker Okoye, Storyteller and Student
12.00 - 13.00
Lunch Break and Drinks
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Flex Your Creative Muscle: The BE YOU Walking Lunch
This is an optional walking tour!
Meeting point POP 2
We all recognise the importance of carving out time to be inspired, but time and motivation can be major blockers when you are under pressure and feeling stuck. If you need some tips on how to reframe a challenge and are in need of new ways to plug more play and creativity into your working day, come and be part of this interactive workshop with one of the world's top comedy improvisers.
Join Improviser, Author and Co-Founder of Comedy Store Players, Neil Mullarkey on an insightful and fun walking workshop around beautiful Soho. You'll walk away with techniques which use moments of mindfulness, improvisation and creativity to fuel innovation and joy!
After all, in the words of St. Augustine, "There is nothing that cannot be solved by walking"
Neil Mullarkey, Actor, Writer and Comedian and Founder of Comedy Store
New Voices: Inspiring New Talent
13.00 - 13.25
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Inside the Creative Mind of Otto Baxter
In 2022 Sky greenlit The Puppet Asylum, the first time a major broadcaster has commissioned a project of scale from a writer and director with Down Syndrome. Filmmaker Otto Baxter, worked with his friends, BAFTA Winning directors Bruce Fletcher and Peter Beard, to bring his vision to life and create Puppet Asylum, a foul-mouthed, autobiographical comedy-horror-musical set in Victorian London. We'll chat through how the project came about, Otto's process of creative genius, his unique perspective of the world and how allowing diversity of thought can deliver outstanding results.
Otto Baxter, Filmmaker
Peter Beard, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Unscripted, Story Films
Bruce Fletcher, Head of Documentaries and Executive Producer, Story Films
Moderated by: Ria Hebden, Television Presenter and Broadcaster
13.25 - 13.55
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Thaw that frozen middle: Stories from outside the M25
Join ScreenSkills beneficiaries from across the UK as we discuss mid-level career support, effective career pathways to encourage increased diversity in leadership roles and what you can do to help step up to more senior roles.
Showcasing flagship programmes from across ScreenSkills’ Skills Funds, we’ll bring together voices from outside the capital to share their stories and offer advice.
Jasmin John
Karen Taylor
Jasmin John, High End TV 1st Assistant Editor & Assembly Editor
Karen Taylor, Line Producer in Film/ TV Drama & Children’s TV
Charanprite Dhami, Third AD in Film & TV
Moderated by: Ria Hebden, Television Presenter & Broadcaster
Charanprite Dhami
Ria Hebden
13.55 - 14.20
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Interview: Funding, Filmmaking and Me - My Journey
We sit down with Jason Osborne, director of LOVE LANGUAGES; a short film made with the support of film funding. Jason talks us through the process and what it means to be a recipient of funding. Hear the hiccups and highlights of Jason’s journey and gain invaluable advice.
Satmohan Panesar
Jason Osborne
Jason Osborne, Director, Love Languages
Moderated by: Satmohan Panesar, Commissioning Editor, ITV
14.20 - 14.55
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Interactive Q&A
Ask Me Anything
This is an opportunity for anyone, from industry veterans to new and rising talent, to hear industry experts share their personal career stories and then ask the panel for invaluable advice on navigating the industry, overcoming obstacles and making it.
Fatima Salaria, TV Executive
Mobeen Azhar, Journalist, Radio and Television Presenter and Filmmaker
Melvin Odoom, Radio and Television Presenter
Moderated by: Jasmine Dotiwala, Inclusion & Equity Leader, Multimedia Broadcaster, Producer, Director & Reporter
Melvin Odoom
Fatima Salaria
Mobeen Azhar
Jasmine Dotiwala
14.55 - 15.00
Attend at HERE at Outernet
ACT two: Poem
Ronni Winter, Art Director
15.00 - 15.20 Break & walk to breakout sessions
Attend at HERE at Outernet
15.30 - 16.30
Choose Your 1 of 3 Breakouts:
15.30 - 16.30
Attend at Fremantle,
1 St Stephen Street
1. Career Corner: Carving Your Own Career Path
This career meetup tackles how to get into the notoriously difficult fields of TV, film and gaming.
Learn about how different media sectors are converging, which roles are currently in-demand, what skills are needed and how to work your way up to that dream job (even if you don’t know what it is yet!)
Robyn Bailey
Robyn Bailey, L&D Manager, Streamland Media
Faraz Osman, Managing Director, Gold Wala
Bob Clarke, Founder and CEO, MAMA Youth Project
Leah Henry, Producer and Development Producer, Fully Focused Productions
Moderated by: Roses Okhipo, Producer, Channel 4
Bob Clarke
Leah Henry
Roses Okhipo
Faraz Osman
15.30 - 16.30
Attend at The Forge at the Lower Third, Outernet
2. get savvy with your money : the Freelancer Financial Toolkit
The financial planning required of freelancers is wildly inconvenient and we all know that nothing can be done to make taxes fun. The reality can be daunting and sometimes it's tricky to know where to start. However, whether you are just starting out as a freelancer or are an established freelancer in need of some advice, this unmissable workshop with former producer turned financial advisor - Emily Man will talk you through some of the essentials such as managing your cash flow, taxes and budget and planning ahead. You'll receive tips and tools to take control of your finances, as well as an opportunity to ask our experts questions in our interactive "Ask Me Anything" session.
Emily Man, Associate Partner, St. James's Place Wealth Management
Ask Me Anything: Q&A
Luke English, Media Lawyer
Fay Mohamed, Production Manager
Moderated by: Anne Morrison, CEO and Creative Director, Nevision
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Emily Man
Anne Morrison
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Luke English
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Fay Mohamed
15.30 - 16.30
Attend at HERE at Outernet
3. Digital first meets traditional broadcast:
New creators
Online platforms are a magnet for next gen creators who crave creative freedom, easy exposure and more reach. Are platforms such as tiktok and youtube now the go-to destinations for the next wave of creators and should traditional media be creating space for YouTube content?
Navi Lamba, Head of Development - BBC Comedy, BBC
Islah Abdur-Rahman, Actor, Filmmaker, Presenter, thecornershopnetwork
Jamie McHale, Strategic Partner Lead Media, Entertainment & Publishers, Pinterest
Moderated by: Vanessa Sawyerr, Director & Head of Talent, Get Stuff Done
Navi Lamba
Islah Abdur-Rahman
Jamie McHale
Vanessa Sawyerr
16.45 - 19.00
Choose 1 of 2 streams:
- Wellbeing & Belonging - Attend at Streamland Media, Newman Street
- Creativity and Inclusive Tech - Attend at HERE at Outernet
16.45 - 17.10
Attend at Streamland Media, Newman Street
Wellbeing & Belonging
Attend at Streamland Media, Newman Street
Breaking Down Behaviours:
Curate a Culture of Belonging for Young Intersectional Identities
How can you broaden the lens of inclusion which values and supports the multifaceted identities of the team and their unique perspectives and experiences? Lukasz Konieczka gives insight into how to shape a winning culture.
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Lukasz Konieczka
Lukasz Konieczka, Executive Director, Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons' Trust
17.10 - 17.45
Attend at Streamland Media, Newman Street
power to the people! safe spaces & speaking out
A robust policy is just the first step to empowering employees to speak out - what does it really take to make people feel fully supported and empowered in a creative role? And what safety blanket is there for the high proportion of freelancers or contractors, who are often overlooked?
In this panel, we chat through how we can safeguard from bullying, encourage authenticity, inclusion and build all the good stuff in. And if you are in an uncomfortable situation, our panel of experts will guide us through where to get help, how and what outcome you can expect.
Emma Butt
Jonathan Coad
Jen Smith, Interim CEO, Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority
Jonathan Coad, PR Professional and Media Lawyer, Coad Law
Zeb Chadfield, Founder, The Finish Line
Moderated by Emma Butt, Dubbing Mixer, ADR Recordist, ADR / Sound Editor
Jen Smith
Zeb Chadfield
17.45 - 18.15
Attend at Streamland Media, Newman Street
READY TO GET REAL? STRATEGIES TO BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF
Authenticity illuminates the path forward to live the life you want, but what does it take to stay true to yourself and be the person that dances behind closed doors? This brilliant panel gives you the tools to be true to your authentic self and bring yourself to work. It might not happen overnight, but we’ll give some tips on how to get there and build a work/life balance that brings you joy and meaning.
Ramaa Sharma,
Ramaa Sharma, Award Winning Media Executive, Journalist and Executive Coach
Des Gayle, BAFTA Award Winning Producer and Founder, Altered Gene
Frédéric Vallée-Tourangeau, Professor of Psychology, Kingston University
Moderated by: Rev Peterson Feital, Founder, The Haven + London & Award-Winning Theologian
Des Gayle
Frédéric Vallée-Tourangeau
Peterson Feital
18.15 - 18.45
Attend at Streamland Media, Newman Street
Fireside Chat with richard parks
Richard Parks, former Welsh International Rugby Player, Award-Winning Author, Multiple BAFTA Cymru Nominated Television Presenter and Filmmaker
Moderated by: Sarah Burbedge, Consultant, Coach and Exec Producer
18.45 - 18.50
Attend at Streamland Media, Newman Street
ACT Three: Poem
Samuel Dusucces, Children's Scriptwriter, Lellobee City Farm
16.45- 17.20
Attend at HERE at Outernet
the ai epoch, or is it?
Creativity and Inclusive Tech
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Where is AI now, both in media and beyond? What tools are being used in the real world and what is coming next? Is Generative AI an existential threat, or a novel plaything? How does this impact creativity, are any jobs really safe?
We’ll explore these questions in what promises to be a lively and interactive fireside chat with two leading minds in the field, scientists. practitioners and futurists. Come on the journey with us!
Sarah Beranek, Automatic Speech Recognition/Machine Learning Scientist, AppTek
Meg Blight, Start Up Growth Director, BT
Moderated by: Rich Welsh, SVP Innovation Technology Strategy, Deluxe & Executive Vice President, SMPTE
Rich Welsh
Sarah Beranek
Meg Blight
17.20 - 17.55
Attend at HERE at Outernet
The culture of producing animation:
Where are we now and what’s next?
This panel takes a deep dive into all aspects of the culture of producing animation. We’ll talk about working environments, dealing with clients and in-house stakeholders, diversity in your teams, how the latest trends in tech could influence the way we produce animation and the impact animation as a format has on the film and tv industry.
Rafi Nizam, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Falcon and Storm
Kate Vaisey, Executive VFX Producer
Dan Dixon, Co-Founder & Executive Producer, Snafu Pictures
Moderated by: Haz Dulull, Director / Producer, HaZimation
Kate Vaisey
Rafi Nizam
Dan Dixon
Haz Dulull
17.55 - 18.30
Attend at HERE at Outernet
Endure & Survive: Visualising The "Last of Us" with Unreal Engine
Vincent Aupetit, Creative Director, Pre-Production Services, Framestore
Moderated by: Simon Devereux, Director, Global Talent Development, Framestore
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Vincent Aupetit
Simon Devereux
18.30 - 19.00
Attend at HERE at Outernet
IBC Accelerators:
How Inclusion & Accessibility come first in Innovation
Inclusion and accessibility are a top priority in media & entertainment, and it’s got to start somewhere, right? Sink your teeth into these fantastic innovation Accelerator projects from our pals at IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) who include it at the very start of R&D ideation at the core of the projects, via synthetic human interpreters, 3D animation into children’s cancer wards, spatial audio, democratised cloud production, and much more, aiming to ensure it makes a lasting impact in these proof of concepts, future productions and beyond.
Hollie Keen, Digital & Technology Solutions Degree Apprentice, BT Media & Broadcast
Mark Smith, Marketing Consultant - Technology, Media & Entertainment
Mike Whittaker, Chief Technology Officer, Outernet
Alfie Potter, Technical Analyst, ITV
19.00 - 19.30
pre-party Drinks at here
Mark Smith
Hollie Keen
Mike Whittaker
Muki Kulhan
BE YOU Festival 2022 Highlights
Who attends?
Here’s a taster of just some of the organisations who attended in 2022:
Read media coverage:
Read fantastic reviews of the BEYOU 2022 Festival
BE YOU Festival AFTER Party
19.45 - 20.00 Comedy with…
Sadia Azmat, British stand-up Comedian and Writer
20.10 - 20.30
Volney Morgan & New-Ye
Multi-Award winning group Volney Morgan & New-Ye burst onto the gospel scene with their electrifying stage presence,
vibrant dance moves, rhythmic sounds and heartfelt performances. A British group who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the American greats, New-Ye brought together a group of friends from North London who had big voices and great passion,led by the high-energy and incredibly gifted vocalist, writer and front-man Volney Morgan.
20.30 -21:00
Eden Hunter
Eden Hunter is one of the UK’s next pop princesses, making a memorable impression with fans and industry alike since the release of her debut single 'Weightless'.
With consistent press support from major tastemakers including Wonderland, Notion and GAYTIMES, Eden’s music has also earned editorial support via Spotify's 'New Music Friday' and ‘Fresh Finds Pop' playlists. Eden has also secured consistent support across BBC Radio, including Jess Iszatt's BBC Introducing London, as well as Hoxton Radio and Voices Radio.
21.00- late
DJ Rich
21:00 - late
STREET CULTURE TV Presents:
KILLA KELA
(Beatbox / RoadBloc
/ Rocksteady Cew)
Host/Dj set
DJ MILLZ
(Kool FM/Kelavision)
Drum & Bass
DJ SHORTY
(Chip Shop / Itch FM)
Hip Hop
VICXXIAMA
(Kelavision/Rinse FM)
Grime/Garage/House
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