Mulberry Arts Conference in its Second Year

A group of committed and passionate Mulberry students took a lead role in planning the conference, which challenged everyone who attended to think about how we can all make sure that everyone in our society is equally represented on screen. We were joined for the conference by leading professionals from across the film and television sectors, including director Phyllida Lloyd, actress Cush Jumbo, producer Ado Yoshizaki Cassuto and cinematographer Anna Valdez Hanks, who spoke inspiringly about their careers and what they are doing to make sure that diversity is championed on screen. Following a stimulating morning of discussions, students were given the opportunity to learn practical skills in a range of workshops focusing on everything from 3D animation to scriptwriting and camera skills. The creators of the recent Channel 4 hit Ackley Bridge also ran a fantastic workshop on how they develop characters for the series. As the conference drew to a close, students reflected on what they had learned throughout the day, and each delegate was asked to make a pledge to do something differently as a result of the day’s conversations. We hope that many of our attendees will be inspired to become the film makers, producers, writers and animators of the future.