C4 gifts MeWe360 memberships to diverse emerging programme-makers

23 September 2014

 

Channel 4 has awarded writer Ben Tagoe and production companies Drummer TV, Hey Buddy, Lemonade Money and Ten66 full membership to innovative business development organisation MeWe360.

MeWe360 provides support to untapped entrepreneurial talent from across the UK's creative disciplines. Channel 4 works with the organisation to offer support to its growing membership of creative entrepreneurs as part of its ongoing commitment to developing new talent and reflecting the diversity of life in the UK today.

Nominated by Channel 4’s Creative Diversity team, the new members will benefit from access to business advice, training, networking and funding opportunities, as well as meeting and working spaces in MeWe360’s Soho offices.

Lara Akeju, Channel 4 Development Manager for Creative Diversity said: “We’re delighted to offer these talented programme-makers the opportunity to develop their business skills and build relationships to increase their potential of becoming regular suppliers to Channel 4. The industry has to be more responsive to creative talent emerging from Britain’s black and minority ethnic communities, and other groups traditionally underrepresented in the media, and this is another way of doing that.”

Ben Tagoe is a Yorkshire based screenwriter who has written episodes of Casualty and EastEnders and is currently developing scripts aimed at Channel 4’s audience.

Ben said: “I'm really excited about my MeWe360 membership. It's already given me a lot of food for thought and it's been great to meet the MeWe360 team and the other members.”

Drummer TV was established in Bristol in 2012 by Tamsin Summers and Rachel Drummond-Hay after receiving start-up support through Channel 4’s Alpha fund. The company specialise in making popular factual programming and have already made four documentaries for the BBC and are about to start their third series, also for BBC.

Rachel said: “Being a small, new company, we often find ourselves drawn into current productions and it can be hard to look at the bigger picture, so we are extremely grateful to Channel 4 for this chance to draw on the expertise of MeWe360 and develop some sensible strategies for growth.”

Hey Buddy was founded by Laurence Koe and Shurwin Beckford, they are popular factual documentary makers and have produced Channel 4 programmes Don’t Blame Facebook and Nelson Mandela Superstar.

Shurwin said: “Hey Buddy are very grateful and proud that Channel 4 has seen fit to award us full membership to such a forward thinking initiative as MeWe360. We are looking forward to working with the team at MeWe360 and exploiting all the opportunities that will undoubtedly present themselves through this fantastic organisation.”

Lemonade Money is a young, diverse media house led by Faraz Osman and James Payne who create branded content, factual and music programmes with a focus on celebrating youth culture.

Faraz said: "Lemonade Money are currently in a period of exciting growth, through the dedication and talent of a young diverse workforce, and the support of MeWe360 could not have come at a better time - offering us the opportunity to scale effectively, support our staff and help us reach our ambitions."

Ten66 is a new start up, a regional indie founded by Executive Producer Rukhsana Mosam. Based in Hastings, East Sussex, Ten66 will specialise in popular factual programming. The company is committed to promoting and developing regional talent as well as black and ethnic minority talent, both on and off screen.

Rukhsana said: “We are delighted that Channel 4 has chosen to link us with MeWe360. It's an excellent opportunity for us to get the right business affairs advice and mentoring from the off. We hope it will help us better position ourselves in the market place and exploit our IP in the increasingly content hungry multi-platform era we find ourselves in today.”

Channel 4 recently announced it was the inaugural corporate member of MeWe360.

Through Channel 4’s £2m Alpha Fund - designed to identify and support creative talent at its earliest stage and develop ideas from a diverse talent base - Creative Diversity has recently funded the development of a range of prime-time programmes including the award-winning drama series Run and documentary series My Tattoo Addiction as well as trainee placements on urban youth drama series Youngers.

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About MeWe360:

MeWe360 is a social enterprise incubator operating in the creative industries from central London. A not for profit, charitable organisation, MeWe360 helps start-ups break into the UK creative sector by providing business support, training and networking opportunities to its registered membership base. The organisation is supported by Ingenious, the UK’s largest independent investor in the creative industries, and the Arts Council England. Ingenious provides investment advice and invests in opportunities within the MeWe portfolio.

MeWe360 was established in 2012 by Kevin Osborne, a social entrepreneur with over 25 years’ experience developing talent in the creative industries. For further information, please visit www.mewe360.com