Lauren Flynn
Theatre lighting technician
Lauren is a West End Lighting Technician, currently working on Matilda the Musical. She began to explore her passion for theatre in the London Fringe scene, working on various projects including The Greater Game, starring James Phelps (Harry Potter), Michael Greco (Eastenders), and Scott Kyle (Outlander) in collaboration with FIFA for the Armistice Day Centenary.
Prior to her work on the West End, she was a technician at the Royal Opera House where she worked on recent adaptations of Aida, and Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, The Nutcracker and a reimagining of Rusalka. Her job involves knowledge of top of the line lighting equipment, ability to read and deliver on lighting documents, and assisting designers in implementing their artistic vision.
Ellie Wood
Producer Film and TV
Having trained at the Royal Academy of Dancing, Ellie Wood began in casting and at a theatrical agency, before joining the BBC for ten years as a script editor and producer, working on many award-winning dramas. She then worked as an executive producer at Clerkenwell Films and Tiger Aspect Productions and has also been a consultant for Miramax and Sony Pictures. She set up Clearwood Films to develop her own film and TV slate and, in 2019, she produced The Dig, for Netflix, starring Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James and Johnny Flynn. It was nominated for five BAFTAs, including Outstanding British Film and Adapted Screenplay. In 2022, she produced Stonehouse, an ITV1 drama starring Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes. In 2023 she produced a feature film adaptation of Deborah Levy’s novel Hot Milk, starring Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw. Do ask her anything about film, tv, theatre, dance, writing.
David Hogg
Photography/Videography/business owner
David Hogg has been running his own photography business, Horizon Imaging, for nearly 10 years. On leaving Claremont in 2004 with A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Design Technology, he undertook a gap year with Anglo-French engineering firm Thales. Thales went on to sponsor him and provide summer employment during his 3-year BEng degree in Electronic Engineering at Surrey University. David then worked for Thales for 2 years before being head-hunted to work for Blue Bear Systems Research, a drone research and development company in Bedfordshire, where his roles included chief UAV test pilot and hardware engineer. After 4 years, David decided to turn his hobbies of photography and aeromodelling (he’d been designing and building his own drones for 8 years by this point) into a career by launching a business offering aerial and ground-level photography and filming services to the property and construction industries … and he’s never looked back!
Emma Smith
Broadcast journalist -TV and Radio news as an anchor, producer and reporter
Emma Smith is a Broadcast Journalist who has spent most of her professional career in television and radio news production both in the UK and overseas. Following a degree in media and communications, Mrs Smith spent a couple of years working in public relations, mainly in the travel sector for clients such as Qantas, Schiphol Airport and Tourism New Zealand. Realising her passion lay in journalism, she left the world of PR and gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Westminster. This opened the door to various contract roles in BBC radio news which led to a full-time Breakfast News presenter role with Heart FM. Mrs Smith later moved to Asia and worked as a television reporter and presenter with TVB News. During her 15 years in Hong Kong, Mrs Smith also worked as a broadcast journalist for CNN and Reuters. You can ask her about broadcast journalism, roles within broadcast news, relevant work experience, training pathways and public relations.
Colin Schaverien
Prolifica Music Manager, Record Label Owner and Publisher
Colin Schaverien runs Prolifica a leading artist management company, music publisher and record label based in London and Los Angeles. Prolifica’s roster includes such acts as Two Door Cinema Club, Maximo Park, Circa Waves, Twin Atlantic, Courting and Candi Staton amongst others. In 2018 Prolifica launched a JV label with PIAS (Lower Third), which was followed by the announcement of a publishing joint venture with Sentric Music Group in September 2020. Prolifica has achieved 4 top ten albums, three of which went top five with the first four album releases for the label which is a UK first. Colin works across all facets of the business including management, label, publishing and global catalogue acquisition and sales.
Siobhan Wilson
Television and Special Events Show Producer
Siobhan has had a career spanning over 30 years in Broadcast Television and high profile events. With a degree in Practical Film-making she trained as a camera operator for a children’s satellite company moving into floor-management at London Weekend Television for 10 years until the lure of freelance life called. Siobhan’s credits include every genre of television from award shows, sport, corporate, cookery and quiz, drama, concerts, to the largest scale events such as Olympic opening and closing ceremonies both here and abroad. She has presided over
20 years of BAFTAS, BRIT Awards, MTV Awards, FA Cup and International sporting games, Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert, The Funeral of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and in September 2022, The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
A career highlight came last year when Eurovision 2023 came to Liverpool!
“ I have never wanted to work in an office in front of a computer screen and so far have managed to stay on the stage, in the studio, in the stadium and beside the pitch -it’s where I am happiest.”