The team behind Creative Industries Trafford
The project is coordinated by Richard Evans, who has worked in arts development since 1998, with a range of organisations including Redeye (The Photography Network), the Liverpool & Manchester Design Initiative and Chester Youth Fringe working on national symposia, large scale music festivals, workshop programmes, and project development.
to the stage
CIT’s new theatre-makers network is run by writer and theatre-maker, Sean Gregory. His play Script In Hand won the Three Weeks Editors’ Choice Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2012. His works have been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Summerhall), 24:7 Theatre Festival, Cambridge Hot Bed Theatre Festival, Buxton Fringe Festival, and the Hampstead Theatre, London. Script in Hand will transfer to the Arcola Theatre, London in November 2012. Sean was a grand finalist in the 2009 Red Planet prize for TV writing and has written an audio production for Manchester’s Working Class Movement Library. In 2010, Sean completed the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, receiving a Skillset bursary from the UK Film Council.
Visual Arts School
Rebecca Dixon and Mario Popham run CIT’s annual visual arts workshops series, due to start in 2013.
Rebecca is a fine art photographer and curator based in Manchester. Graduating from the University of Bolton in 2011 with a first class degree in photography, Rebecca has just completed a postgraduate qualification in Contemporary Curating. Her research into the photographic gallery space informs her personal projects, and it has ignited her passion for supporting the commission and development of work by fellow artists and photographers.
Mario has been a practicing photographer since graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University with first class honours, during which time he was shortlisted for the Observer Hodge and Nikon Discovery Award. He has worked extensively as an events photographer, specialising in theatre and performance. More recently he has dedicated his energies towards pursuing his personal fine art documentary projects within his home city of Manchester.
TV Script Development
CIT’s popular TV script development events – Writing & Pitching for TV, the TV Script School – are developed by Ric Michael, former Head of Development at Baby Cow Manchester and now a media producer and trainer.
He began his career as manager of legendary Manchester club The International 1, before establishing Manchester Roadhouse as a key live venue in the North of England. He launched Manchester Poetry Festival and produced events for Granada TV. Ric was commissioned to make a range of live poetry programmes for BBC3 for multi-award winning Baby Cow Productions.
Ric became Head of Development for Baby Cow Manchester, which developed Gavin & Stacey and established its reputation for bringing through and nurturing new talent.
Portfolio Surgeries
CIT has an ongoing partnership with Castlefield Gallery, one of Northern England’s most active and successful organisations/agencies for developing emerging contemporary artists and practice. Together, we run portfolio surgeries that provide in-depth review and guidance, taking place twice a year at the gallery with a team of expert viewers.
Literature Development
CIT works with a number of writers and publishers to bring support, literary development and knowledge to the writing community. Our speakers have included literary agents John Jarrold and Oli Munson (Blake Friedmann Agency), publishers Sophie Buchan (Weidenfeld Nicolson) and Dead Ink Books along with authors David Gaffney (Sawn Off Tales) and Wes Brown (Shark). In 2013, we will be working with Manchester Literature Festival and 24:7 Theatre Festival to develop further events to the writing community.
Waterside Arts Centre
CIT is based at Waterside and is supported by a fantastic team which provides marketing, technical, gallery, box office and admin support.
