TEAM
Meet the team that provide the wealth of knowledge and skills here at Signal Film & Media!
THE CO-DIRECTORS:
LOREN SLATER & KERRY KOLBE
On returning to the area after university, former school mates Kerry and Loren returned to their hometown in nearby Ulverston to pursue their dreams of working in film and to provide access and opportunities for likeminded people. Back in 2001, they set up the first version of what later became Signal Film and Media in Barrow, to offer activities for people who would otherwise be excluded from the creative and digital sector.
After a few different homes, Loren and Kerry raised over £2 million to transform the derelict Victorian ‘Cooke’s’ building on Abbey Road into the creative media centre, which opened in December 2011.
Since those early beginnings, Kerry has an MA in Screenwriting course from the National Film and Television School, is part of the BBC Writers’ Room & is writing for the Peaky Blinders’ VR experience while Loren and her partner, Director Matt Palmer have recently finished their BAFTA-winning feature film & Netflix Original CALIBRE (15) & will soon be starting production with Bong Joon Ho & Participant Media on an exciting new drama.
They are both still incredibly active and passionate filmmakers within the industry whilst balancing their executive roles here at Signal.
Jon Borgia: Technician / Project Coordinator
The person to fix all things here at Signal, able to support sound, lighting, digital media and more technical skills than you can shake a stick at. From exhibition curation and coding to website design and multimedia engineering regularly called upon, Jon’s background is in software design for the arts, media and computing and in events management, having coordinated artists gates at festivals & events for many years.
Phil Northcott: Co-Curator / Producer
A curator and arts coordinator who has over 20 years experience working with national and international artists on multidisciplinary exhibitions and projects. He coordinated the first UK re-staging of Daniel Buren’s Voile Toile / Toile Voile in the Lake District and a significant exhibition for Cumbria of US Abstract Expressionism, Guston in Grasmere. He has a masters degree in Curation in Fine Art after studying at The University of West of England. Phil works on the development and delivery of our digital arts and heritage programmes.
RACHEL CAPOVILA: Community Engagement Producer
Having managed many creative and community projects, Rachel has recently taken on a new role with us as Community Engagement Producer for our newest heritage project, Sankey: Lives Through the Lens. Rachel is a freelance artist & filmmaker from and based in Barrow. She has produced many of the award-winning film projects here at Signal. Rach’s artistic work is a cross-disciplinary practice exploring the relationship between memory, place and historic narrative. Often utilising the local natural world within her work Rachel’s practice encompasses film, textile and installation. Her work has been to the Venice Biennale twice and has been published with Pyramid and Thames and Hudson.
Karen Bird: Youth Project Delivery / Trustee
A rare female director who created pop promos for ‘Godfathers of music video’ Godley and Creme in the late 80s, working with artists including John Lydon, Trent Reznor and Van Morrison. Karen returned north to hone her storytelling skills and pursue her passion for helping others develop their creativity after working for many years for the UK Film Council as a mentor on crew trainee schemes on productions such as Channel 4’s SHAMELESS and the BBC’s WATERLOO ROAD. Primarily a writer/director, Karen has overseen production of over 30 short films at Signal which have screened at festivals around the world and won numerous prizes. She is currently in post-production on her own latest short film.
Liz Critchley: Adult Programme Manager
A Barrow native and highly experienced arts and heritage manager, Liz joined us in September 2021 from her role at the National Trust at Sizergh Castle, Fell Foot, Dalton Castle and Acorn Bank. Before that Liz worked at the Dock Museum, and she is thrilled to be back in her hometown engaging with our many adult volunteers and participants. Liz has a degree in History of Art and an MA in Museum Studies and has a wealth of local knowledge and understanding of the community we serve.
Jennifer McMillan: communications lead & Development Officer
Jennifer leads our communications and social media. She has recently begun working on development and writing funding applications for Signal. She has an MA in Contemporary Art Practice from the Royal College of Art. An artist and writer, she creates video and performance work. She has performed at the Perth Fringe Festival in Australia and On the Verge Festival in Liverpool. Her writing has been published by New Critique and Two Destination Language. In 2022 Jennifer returned from London to her hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, passionate about using art as a tool to connect people and share more creative opportunities with her community.
Associates
Joanna Roy: Digital Art Project Manager
Leading an ambitious digital arts programme strand here at Signal, Jo has brought a wealth of national and international talent from artists around the world here to Barrow as part of the project. Having worked previously at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and Abandon Normal Devices Festival, she also lectures at Manchester School of Art in Graphic Design. Jo also works as a freelance Graphic Designer and is responsible for Signal’s new branding and website overhaul.
Julia Parks: Heritage Project Manager
May Davies: Project Executive / Fundraiser
Originally a Project Manager here, May is now often found as a project executive and funding bid writer for many of the programmes here at Signal, working from her base in London. Primarily May is an art director and production designer for a variety of acclaimed award-winning films (Swallows and Amazons, Mea Culpa, Calibre) and tv series (People Just Do Nothin’, The Importance of Being Oscar). She is a BAFTA crew mentor who regularly supports students at the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts.
Adam Pickford: Project Assistant / Editor
An award-winning cinematographer with 15 years of editing experience under his belt, Adam’s 2017 short was nominated for Student Widescreen Film of the Year and Best Drama at the Southern Royal Television Awards. He was also awarded the runner-up prize for the 2018 Bill Vinten Guild of Television Cameras University Award for his cinematography skills on The Fence, which has also since gone viral on YouTube, clocking up nearly 2 million views. After previously working across all strands here at Signal, he now returns to support and teach on our BFI Film Academy.
Sophie Broadgate: Project Assistant / Editor
A Manchester-based filmmaker whose work spans across Narrative, Documentary and Art Film. Her work has been screened at BFI Flare, Queer Lisboa and Palace International film festival. As a writer/director, Sophie is currently developing a slate of short films with the aim of moving into features. The Rainy Day Video and her own production company, Pikaia Films. She is a passionate advocate of Queer rights & is also fluent in French.
