The University of Northampton’s campus was a hive of activity last week, as students from local schools, colleges and the University came to shake hands and network with multi-award-winning film, television and make-up industry heavyweights.
Taking place last Monday, the Cultural and Creative Industries Networking Night offered more than 100 local creatives, recruiters and employers – as well as more than 60 staff and students from the University of Northampton – the opportunity to open the book on what it takes to ‘make it’ within the cultural and creative industries through a People Library.
The People Library featured twelve award-winning industry professionals, each seated and ready to share their knowledge, insights and network with the up-and-coming student talent from the University of Northampton and its local network of schools and colleges.
As well as welcoming representatives from Royal & Derngate, West Northants Council, Northamptonshire Community Foundation and Delapre Abbey, the full line-up for the People Library was as follows:
· Dr Denise Maxwell – Award-winning photographer
· Suki Somal – BBC journalist and broadcaster
· Sally Crouch – MUA for Film and TV
· Alex Harper – Emmy nominated SFX artist for Film
· Rhiannon Pallister – Spark for Film and TV and events including Glastonbury
· Curtis Garner – Author
· Liam Calvert – Director, Writer, Filmmaker
· That Joe Payne – Queer artist and award-winning progressive-music vocalist
· Kate Dow – Film Producer and Assistant Director, and currently Head of Creative Operations at Ziggurat XYZ
· Phil Bodger – Music Producer/Engineer
· Mirusha Jegatheeswaran – Broadcast and Media Systems engineer for ITV, currently working on Emmerdale
· Andrei Austin – Film and TV Director of Photography
With experience working on iconic shows such as Emmerdale and Good Morning Britain, Mirusha Jegatheeswaran was excited to network and be part of the People Library: “I had the pleasure of attending the Cultural and Creative Industries Networking Night at the University of Northampton, delivered in collaboration with Northampton Film Festival.
“As part of the People Library, I had the opportunity to have open, honest conversations with students about careers, confidence, and navigating the realities of the industry.
“Returning to the university where my journey began felt incredibly special. It was a full-circle moment to share what I’ve learned so far, hear students’ ambitions, and hopefully reassure them that there isn’t just one path into the creative industries.”
Deputy Head of the School of Culture and the Creative Industries, Dr Anthony Stepniak – who organised the event in association with Northampton Film Festival’s Becky Carrier – said: “The value of networking events like this truly cannot be understated.
“The young people in attendance at the networking event are at a critical point of their lives, exploring their passions and looking to decide the direction of their careers. The opportunity to network with – and learn from – industry professionals at this level of calibre does not happen every day.
“The University of Northampton has built and nurtured close relationships with the local cultural and creative industries, and this event is the latest in a long line of opportunities to welcome our local professional community on site to explore exciting new collaborations.