EM Media extends board to cover East of England

Elstree Studios MD Roger Morris, director of Norwich based Wavelength Films Lucy Ward and chair of the Cambridge Film Trust Bill Thompson have been co-opted to the board of Nottingham-based regional screen agency EM Media in an advisory capacity as part of a move to ensure full representation for the East of England.

The appointments are part of the expansion of EM Media’s geographical remit to include the East Of England, following the demise of regional screen agency Screen East last year.

The agency’s support now extends to film and media professionals based in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Morris, Ward and Thompson will have full voting rights on all investment decisions relating to both the East Midlands and East of England. They will attend regular board meetings alongside the chair of EM Media’s board Lisa Opie and fellow directors Mike Blair, Marc Boothe, Stephen Frears, Jeremy Gawade, Elizabeth Karlsen, Dr. Lisa Mooney-Smith and Revolver’s David Shear.

The new appointments are on an initial fixed term basis of six months until October, by which point new umbrella body Creative England is due to be operational. It is not entirely clear what will happen to the eight remaining regional screen agencies under the new structure of Creative England, which is due to take the form of three hubs - Creative North, Creative Central and Creative South. The heads of the three hubs and the formal structure of the new regional body are yet to be announced.

EM Media’s chief executive Debbie Williams said the new board members would “play a key role in EM Media’s investment decisions and in the ongoing discussions regarding the establishment of Creative England,” adding that it was the agency’s “intention to create the best possible solution for talent and the cultural infrastructure England-wide and our strengthened board will have much to contribute”.