The Creative Cities Convention has just announced its full line-up for this year’s online event and you can register for just £75+VAT.

BBC Director General Tim Davie will headline a brilliant line-up of linear TV and digital leaders at the convention. He will explain the thinking behind the corporation’s recently announced ‘Across The UK’ plan and will discuss with conference host Kirsty Wark the impact he hopes it will have on audiences as well as the creative sector.

The Convention is the UK’s only platform for anyone working in network production and distribution across the nations and regions. All content will be on demand from 22^nd April, as a series of thought-provoking debates, conversation pieces and podcasts and will remain available until May 31st.

Register today

Tickets are only £75+VAT and delegates can arrange Meet The Commissioner sessions if they book before the end of Wednesday 14^th April.

Register here

More information about this year's Convention

Studio Sessions – recorded shortly before release

These sessions will be available as a joined-up series for those who want to kick back and enjoy or as separate on-demand videos if your diary is looking packed.

• BBC Director General Tim Davie shares thoughts on his plan The BBC Across The UK with conference host and distinguished broadcaster Kirsty Wark.

• How To Go Global Post Covid: Different aspects of how to grow your business will be discussed by a panel of leading international players including Sky Studios chief content officer Jane Millichip, ITV Studios MD of global content network Mike Beale, Woodcut Media’s creative director Derren Lawford and Synchronicity’s creative director Claire Mundell, who will also be joined by her Melbourne based development producer Ruth Underwood to explain the deal behind their hit BBC drama The Cry.

• How To Build A Hit Returnable Format: Producers hoping to crack the formula for a big returnable factual format will gain insights from Voltage TV CEO Sanjay Singhal, Raise The Roof creative director Andrew Jackson and Channel 4 daytime and features commissioner Kate Thomas, who will then be joined by Sioned Wyn, whose small production company Chwarel in Snowdonia has bagged a 60 episode returnable commission from Channel 4.

• Creative Diversity: A Year Of Change:  The heads of creative diversity for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 – Miranda Wayland, Ade Rawcliffe and Babita Bahal – will be joined by author and BBC Scotland Class Wars presenter Darren McGarvey to reflect on a year of seismic change in the pursuit of improved equality, diversity and inclusion in our industry.

• Sanjeev Kohli’s Guide To Glasgow: the actor, writer and comedian offers a unique take on his home city

Thinking Aloud – conversation pieces from leaders and thinkers

An extraordinary line-up of speakers will contribute to the event’s brand new Thinking Aloud strand, designed to offer insights and information for delegates working in the business:

• ITV Digital Channels controller Paul Mortimer tells ITV presenter Charlene White how audience habits changed during the pandemic
   
• BBC Three controller Fiona Campbell shares thoughts with Kirsty Wark on portrayal and the importance of partnering across the nations and regions
   
• Channel 4’s head of daytime and features Jo Street turns tables to become a guest of Steph McGovern, presenter of the channel’s Leeds based live daytime show Steph’s Packed Lunch
   
• Channel 5’s deputy director of programmes Sebastian Cardwell offers insights on his channel’s relationships with producers outside London
   
• CEO of Pact John McVay and his MD of business development and global strategy Dawn McCarthy-Simpson ask ‘how was it for you’ after a rollercoaster year for Pact and its membership
   
• STV’s CEO Simon Pitts discusses his company’s ambitions, surviving the pandemic and the value of public service television
   
• The new head of BBC Scotland Steve Carson shares thoughts on his future plans with BBC Scotland commissioning editor Muslim Ali
   
• Awesome smartphone content creator Imran Azam will challenge TV traditionalists to think afresh about the power of the mobile device we hold in the palm of our hand
   
• ScreenSkills CEO Seetha Kumar will address strategies needed to train talent across the UK in a session close to the hearts of producers across the UK
   
• TV property gurus Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer discuss ten years of working with their managing director Jane Muirhead at Raise The Roof Productions
   
• Argonon CEO James Burstall argues that the pandemic has accelerated the shift to digital by ten years
   
• The remarkable team behind Casualty’s powerful deaf storyline - writer Charlie Swinbourne, director John Maidens, actor Gabriella Leon and producer Dafydd Llewelyn, share thoughts on how they did it and why it matters that people with disabilities tell their stories on mainstream TV

Podcasts – Creative Cities Conversations

For the first time this year the conference also offers a diverse set of podcasts called Creative Cities Conversations, including:

• Channel 4 digital exec Navi Lamba and YouTube’s EMEA head of originals Luke Hyams offer insights on tomorrow’s digital content creators
   
• Producer Adeel Amini and director Stewart Kyasimire discuss their shared determination to improve mental health and diversity in the TV industry
   
• Glasgow based Bandicoot execs Daniel Nettleton and Derek McLean tell broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove how they turned The Masked Singer into a big lockdown hit
   
• Screen Scotland CEO Isabel Davis talks to Kirsty Wark about turning Scotland into a global screen hub
   
• ITV director of social purpose Clare Phillips and Seadog’s natural history filmmaker Monty Halls consider what TV can do to help save the planet
   
• XR Stories director Damian Murphy and Creative England CEO Caroline Norbury explore the future of immersive storytelling
   
• Presenter Janice Forsyth from The Big Light and CEO Jez Nelson from Somethin Else offer thoughts on what TV can learn from podcasting
   
• Silent Witness actor Emilia Fox and criminologist and broadcaster David Wilson discuss the public’s obsession with true crime stories and what it tells us about the nation we are
   
• STV creative director Craig Hunter and comedian, actor and writer Sanjeev Kohli talk to Kirsty Wark about the merits of heading for London to build a career versus staying put

Meet the Commissioner Sessions

• Delegates will also be able to book places to network with commissioners and discuss their ideas online by registering before Wednesday 14th April.

Register for Creative Cities Convention 2021 today