Whose Disability? (1982, 20 mins) with Steve Hawley, Nic Gibson

Three months in the life of a daycare project empowering disabled adults to communicate and grow in confidence. Screened in Rome as part of an international show, Video Roma, in 1983.

 

The Science Mix (1982, 7 mins) with Steve Hawley

Inspired by Grandmaster Flash and the arrival of 'scratch', this seminal piece of Video Art was part of the first ever touring international show, The Second Link, screened at New York's MOMA.

 

Second To None (1983, Interface/RPM, 52 mins, C4)

First of a series of documentaries directed for Channel 4, communicating alternative ideas of disability on this new UK TV channel. Featuring Robert Wyatt, Adam Reynolds and the work of performers and writers. Presented by Chris Davies.

 

The Compensation Game (1983, Interface/RPM, 52 mins, C4)

Highlighting the systemic failures of the insurance industry skewed against the interests of disabled individuals. This was notable for an early appearance behind the scenes for the young TV researcher, Jonathan Ross.

 

Paralympics ’84 (1984, Interface/RPM, 45 mins, C4)

The first television sports documentary on the World Wheelchair Games, becoming known ever since as the Paralympics. This documentary integrates mainstream event coverage with individual profiles. Narrated by Adrian Metcalfe.

 

No Faith in Us (1984, Interface/RPM, 52 mins, C4)

Exploring the representation in Christian teaching of cripples and miracles, this programme uncovers unpleasant truths about how our disabling perception of difference is embedded from a young age and again featured Jonathan Ross asking the questions.

 

Gold (1985, Interface, 45 mins, C4)

Casting a critical eye on these 'Special Olympics', this documentary shot in Dublin explores how the international event, inspired by the Kennedy family, continues to represent those with learning difficulties in the context of unique and special achievement. Narrated by Adrian Metcalfe.

 

Care on the Cheap (1985, Interface, 52 mins, C4)

Uncovering the lives of those looking after others at home, especially the unsung heroes who take on all-consuming responsibilities for providing essential care as Government support is withdrawn.

 

Separate Development (1986, 52 mins, C4)

Presented by Rudi Breakwell-Bos, this documentary shines a light on those young people failed by the Government's Schools policy segregating those with additional needs away from mainstream education and into special establishments, doing little to improve life chances..

 

The Business Exchange (1986, Blackrod, multiple episodes, C4)

Directed multiple short features for this weekly magazine series, telling stories of entrepreneurial success and endeavour, featuring businesses including Harrods and the Metro Centre in Newcastle.

 

The Chemistry Set (1987, 11 mins, C4) with Steve Hawley

Made for the experimental late-night series, Ghosts in the Machine, this project explores the role of technology in shaping our world.

 

Kielder Challenge (1987, Interface/BBC, 29 mins, BBC) with Jeremy Gibson

Shot on film, this documentary was made with the BBC's Community Programme Unit, featuring the extraordinary challenge of competitive trekking through the sodden forests of Kielder by teams of wheelchair users from Sheffield.

 

The Education Programme (1987, BBC Education, multiple episodes)

Shot on film and video, these features were made for the BBC2 magazine series and tell stories of innovation and change in schools across the UK, including the innovative use of television studio production as part of the national curriculum in Northern Ireland.

 

Greening The Classroom (1988, 29 mins, BBC Education)

Stand-alone documentary about how schools began to incorporate the study of climate change into the national curriculum. Presented by Elin Rhys, the project explores new initiatives in Cornwall and Tyneside.

 

Video Diaries (1990, 52 mins, BBC Community Programmes, multiple episodes) winner, Emmy Award

Produced several full-length documentaries in the series that reinvented some of the grammar of television, as this new TV genre launched an intimate, self-shot style and the confessional 'piece to camera', heralding a new on-screen relationship with the audience and the broadcaster. Shot in 'real-time', programmes included photographer Jo Spence battling against her raging cancer, activist Steve Cribb and ex-lorry driver Mica as he transitions from male to female.

 

Teenage Diaries (1992, 52 mins, multiple episodes, BBC)

Continuing the new genre, these remarkable 'diary-style' programmes provide a never-seen-before insight into teenager's unfolding life stories, glimpsing into alternative lifestyles, bedroom angst, eating disorders and identity crises.

 

Video Nation (1992 onwards, shorts, multiple episodes, BBC) winner Prix Iris

Conceived this short form video project, which selected 250 diverse contributors to record their everyday lives and thoughts on a variety of subjects. Acclaimed as an 'anthropology of everyday life' in the same vein as Mass Observation in the 1930's and 1940's, this fascinating record is a "YouTube before there was Youtube", charting the unmediated reactions to everything from the death of Diana to British sovereignty.

 

Three Minutes (1993, 3 mins, multiple episodes, ITV)

Hired as a Producer to create new content for the new ITV franchise at Meridian, this original daily teatime format: three shots in three minutes with first-person storytelling made with a small crew. It became a staple of the schedules for ten years.

 

Good Morning Diaries (1994, 5 mins, multiple episodes, BBC)

The series that got Maverick Television off the ground, several diary-style documentaries echoing the social concerns of the Daytime audience. Alzheimers, rural living and autism were typical intimate stories, shot in partnership with the contributors.

 

Language Lessons (1994, 35 minutes, Arts Council/C4) with Steve Hawley

Experimental documentary on the strange and wonderful history of the artificial language movement. As well as its broadcast it had a special screening at the 2018 Clermont Film festival and is in the permanent collection of Fundacio la Caixa, Barcelona.

 

Trade Secrets (1995, 9 minutes, multiple episodes, BBC2)

Created the popular nine-minute format that used the inherent charm of ordinary people as experts, sharing the tips and tricks of their trades learnt along the way. Channel Controller, BBC2, Michael Jackson, described this series as a "hidden gem" and it was recommissioned several times.

 

Going For a Song (1995, 29 mins, multiple episodes, BBC)

Worked with the late John King to reimagine the popular studio-based Antiques show, bringing the cast and production up-to-date, retaining our enduring fascination with objects from the past and their stories. Tony Slattery and Mariella Frostrup appeared alongside Michael Parkinson and Eric Knowles.

 

Comic Relief Diaries (1995, 5 mins, multiple episodes, BBC)

Developing the 'video diary' form, these shorts focussed on individual stories and were peppered thoughout the evening's fundraising broadcast, helping to raise money for the charity.

 

Michelle’s Story (1995, 38 mins, BBC) winner RTS

As part of the Comic Relief project, this became the first full-length 'video diary' documentary broadcast on BBC1. Michelle Kenney, from Belfast, charts her recovery from drug addiction and mental illness, returning to clubs and the mental hospital to confront her demons. With the help of the PANDA organisation she turns her life round. Introduced by Robbie Coltrane.

 

Front Room (1997, 30 mins, multiple episodes, BBC)

Amongst the first live studio shows to use the internet to interact with the audience. Made for the new BBC Knowledge channel (now BBC4), this roller-coaster of a format, presented by Jason Bradbury, features a 'switchboard' of operators taking email and comment.

 

Top Gear GTi (1997, 30 mins, multiple episodes, BBC)

Taking the best bits of the Top Gear, this part-archive, part original series extends the brand to revisit the best and worst cars and ridiculous high jinx of these increasingly popular presenters.

 

Raw (1998, 40 mins, BBC)

One-off pilot with American/Cuban band, The Mavericks whilst on a debut UK tour. The music was recorded at BBC Birmingham and shared with BBC Radio 2. The experimental picture coverage was captured using multiple fixed and steadicam cameras to produce an intimate studio session, interspersed with interview and candid banter.

 

Mercenaries (2001, 30 mins, series, Bravo)

Jason Bradbury presented this gameshow made with hackers and computer geeks, tapping into the craze for online gaming. Later repeated on Virgin, the series provided an excellent rehearsal for Jason's later flagship, The Gadget Show,

 

Brighton Beats (2001, 24 mins, six episodes, ITV)

Charting the emergence of the Brighton music scene and that famous beach party in 2002 when 200,000 descended onto the pebbles. The series includes Fat Boy Slim, The Levellers, British Sea Power and The Electric Soft Parade.

 

St Dunstans (2002, 24 mins, six episodes, ITV)

Individual stories from blind servicemen and women who live at St Dunstans, set on the cliffs overlooking the sea, recounting their armed forces experiences and their challenges in adapting to civilian life without sight.

 

Artists in Residence (2003, 25 mins, two-part series, C5)

With unfettered access to the Bloomsbury Set's infamous Charleston Farmhouse, this arts documentary tells the story of Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf) and Duncan Grant and the arts movement they developed at their home, living in amongst their hand-painted decorative furniture.

 

The Last Taboo (2013, 24 mins, Community Channel/Journeyman Pictures) winner BUFVC

Three children die every minute owing to contaminated water and open defecation. Made with funding from Adobe and Worldview, this documentary explores radical ways to trigger change in Kenya, using humour and shock to challenge economic inequality and ancient folklore. The documentary was selected for the Ethnographic Film Festival in Paris, 2014 and won a Learning on Screen BUFVC award.

 

Stranger Than Known (2015, 10 mins, documentary and installation) with Steve Hawley

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Southampton's city status, this slow-motion slice of street life is forensic in its revelation of people in their everyday world. The project derives inspiration from the flaneur, with the camera recording unplanned observations of everyday life. Part of the Official Selection for the New York Independent Film Festival.

 

Play and Creativity (2016, 5 mins, Winchester University)

The concept of Lego Serious Play underpins this short documentary made over a week, exploring the ways in which play can lever original thinking and problem solving - for adults. Lego, of course, but also maggots, balloons and marshmallows are all toys of choice in this eye-opening reminder of the lesser-known values of playfulness.

 

Island Pride UK (2018, 9 mins, BBC)

Uncovering the hidden stories and closetted histories of LGBQT communities on the Isle of Wight through the eyes of several people involved in staging and performing this celebratory Pride event during the hot summer of 2018. Stories from the heart of ordinary citizens of all ages combine to produce laughter and tears.

 

Freedom to Speak Up Guardians (2019, 4 mins, Hampshire NHS Trust)

Short educational project to urge NHS hospital workers facing bullying and inappropriate behaviour to speak up and sort it out through a new national initiative.

 

Love Beyond Borders (2019, 13 mins, Vimeo)

Autobiographical documentary shot in Amsterdam and the UK, exploring identity, grief, loss and love. The timeline of the project encompasses the death of my mother and the Brexit referendum. Being half-Dutch, both challenged my sense of self and the film looks backwards and forwards simultaneously.

 

Showcase X-Plus (2019, 1 min. Cinema commercial)

Complicated multi-layered project telling the story of cinema and the arrival of 360 sound and X-Plus cinema projection in under a minute. With stunning audio design, VFX, archive manipulation and live action, the project packs its punch in widescreen.

 

Inside The World of Tinnitus (2020, 10 mins, BBC)

Tinnitus is under researched yet increasingly prevalent amongst all ages, especially those involved in live music. Rupert Brown is an acclaimed drummer who has designed a unique soundscape therapy to help his own tinnitus. This documentary takes us with him as his 'cure' is dispensed to others including carpenter Anthony with surprising results.

 

Vectis Radio (2020, 10 mins, BBC Inside Out)
Telling the story of one of Isle of Wight's great success stories. Vectis Radio serves the island's listeners whilst empowering young people with additional needs to develop and present their own programmes. The radio station continues to win national recognition for its inspiring work.

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Mental Health Stories (2021, 6 x 5 mins, NHS Solent Trust YouTube)

Directed and produced short intimate documentaries exploring how various treatments have worked with a range of mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, psychosis and trauma. The films - ultimately positive and encouraging - heard first hand accounts as to the effectiveness of treatments such as CBT and EMDR.

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The Wave Project (2021, 1 x 5 mins, IOW High Sheriff Trust)

First of three short documentaries exploring mental health on Isle of Wight through 'sea therapy' a national project that harnesses the power of the ocean to tackle challenges faced by young people including grief, anxiety and crippling under-confidence. Other films in this series featured the Isorropia Foundation and the Isle of Wight Youth Trust.

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Our Stories (2023, 1 x 5 mins, Isle of Wight Council)

A film made in four days, from script to screen. Made alongside six teenagers with mental health challenges, telling their stories and proposing solutions to the endemic problem of loneliness and isolation on the island.

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The One Show (2022 - 2024, 14 x 5 minutes, BBC1)

Diverse short films produced and directed across the UK. Subjects including Modern Archaeology, Refugee Olympic Team, Tiger Release, Veterans Hotel, The Big Dialect Hunt, Badgers, Electric Cars, Polar Bear Rescue, Foraging, Calling Blighty Films and Sheffield Refugee Choir.

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