Youth Board

Signal Film and Media’s Youth Board is a group of young people aged 13 to 25 years committed to coming together to discuss our programme and plans. Their voice is taken forward to inform the direction of our activities and work.

Kara

Kara first got involved with Signal by participating with Get Digital to build her love and knowledge of the film industry. She has also worked with Signal on a BFI course where she found her interest in cinematography. Kara hopes to go to University to study film and is currently working with her friends to create a short horror film set in Cumbria.

Tegan-Amarria

Tegan first joined Signal whilst working with the BFI Academy towards a qualification in media. Since then she has joined the youth board and is happily finding opportunities for other young people who are interested in media. Tegan has helped on Signals’ short film ‘Seeing Red’ as an editor. She hopes to work on big projects in the future and is excited to see what the future holds.

Spencer

Spencer first got involved with Signal at the age of nine with Signal Starters – Signal’s stop motion animation workshop. A decade later he was recruited by Signal to support Signal Starters and create stunning clay models. Spencer has participated in Signal’s Get Digital Course and the BFI Course working as an actor and director. He has recently finished college and is preparing to study at Sunderland University.

Dylan

Dylan has been involved with Signal for almost a decade, starting out after being nominated by his primary school to participate in an animation workshop. Since then, Signal has been his second home where Dylan found himself free to express himself creatively. Over the years he has been involved both through workshops and volunteering. Outside of Signal he has a lifelong passion for the Sciences; which as he learnt, has more in common with Art than what first meets the eye. Looking forward, Dylan hopes to take part in the BFI before leaving for Uni to study Physics.

Sam

Sam first started working with Signal in 2021 with volunteering at the West Coast Photo Festival. After taking part in Photography and Art, Sam then dabbled into film with Get Digital in 2022 where he worked on the music video “By the light of the man” by Megan Lee and the comedy-horror “Shock Jock”. Sam then progressed onto the BFI when he worked on costumes and Art dept on another comedy-horror “Of Sound Mind”. In 2023, Sam went back to focusing on the Arts and Photography with volunteering on the exhibits like “Troubled Waters”. Out of Signal, Sam has completed a CTEC in Media, an A level in photography and Foundation Art, Design and Media. He will be progressing to Glasgow School of Art to study Fine Art Photography.

Emily

Emily is currently studying Film and Theatre at Lancaster University. Her work at Signal has helped her develop key skills that will help toward her degree. “Whilst at Signal, I became a mentor on their youth programs. It has helped me to work with the next generation of filmmakers. I want to create a safe space that allows people to explore and not be scared about stepping out of their comfort zone. I know how scary it can be but once you do it, you can achieve anything.”

“Signal helped me to discover my creative side through directing with two projects that I was part of. If it wasn’t for them then I wouldn’t be pursuing a career that I am really passionate about.”

Emily believes everyone has a story to be told. She wants to be the person that gives them a platform to share their experiences. She is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. She wants to make sure that she can help the next generation of creatives with being able to have access to opportunities that they wouldn’t necessarily get elsewhere.

Samuel

Samuel is from a Brazilian/English background. He has Written, Produced & Directed a plethora of short films & music videos. He has also worked on various high-end films in Camera & Production departments.

At Signal Sam’s been employed to assist in the teaching of aspiring filmmakers & help develop their own films. At the moment Sam is attached to Produce two feature films, his lifelong dream is to direct a full-length feature.

Vee

Vee is our newest member of the youth board, who got involved with Signal and has continued coming back, her favourite project was “Of Sound Mind”, which she was a member of the Art Department and acted in a part of it. She writes fantasy stories and does live roleplay, hoping to become an actor in the future, mostly in medieval or fantasy films like Game of Thrones.

THE CO-DIRECTORS

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.

Rachel Capovila: Project MANAGER

A freelance artist & filmmaker from and based in Barrow, She has experienced community arts Project Manager.Rachel 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.

Adam Pickford: Project Assistant / Editor

The youngest member of the Signal team, but by no means the least accomplished. An award-winning cinematographer with 15 years 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 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. He works across all strands here at Signal.

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.

Phil Northcott: Curator / Project Assistant

A curator and arts coordinator who has over 15 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, for The Wordsworth Trust. 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 programme.

Kezz Turner: Project Coordinator / Manager

Project Manager for the Cooke’s Crew youth programme, Kezz also works across all strands here at Signal, supporting through coordination, recruitment & marketing skills during the day-to-day administration and delivery for our year-round programme of events. Having a background in visual arts and performance, she’s usually visible through a variety of client-facing roles. Kezz is also an actress represented by Cartwright-Higgins Management & recently performed at The Lowry & in a BUPA ad campaign.

Charlotte Davies: Project Coordinator / Manager

Charlotte is one of the newest members of our recently-expanded team & joins us as Project Manager for our Youth Collective programme and as Coordinator & Assistant on our Sankey heritage project. With a background in conceptual art and photography, Charlotte’s warmth and enthusiasm brings much joy to our team.

Helen Watson: Co-Director

Helen has over twenty five years’ experience working nationally in museums, galleries and heritage. She has worked for national institutions, the private & commercial sector and charities. Recent roles include Director at The Tetley, Leeds, a pioneering centre for contemporary art and Director of Programming, Lakeland Arts, one of the North’s leading arts and heritage organisations. Helen’s expertise lies in artistic and learning programming, curation, organisational development and change management. She has an MA in Museum Studies, is an Associate of the Museums Association, a Coach and Clore Leadership Fellow.

Sophie Broadgate: Project Assistant / Editor

A Manchester-based filmmaker whose work spans across Narrative, Documentary and Art Film. She has seen her work screen 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.

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.

Julia Parks: Heritage Project Manager

Part of the 2020 FLAMIN fellowship, film, animation and photography in her work, often through 16mm film, in exploring the different relationships between landscape, place and people, often focusing on the west-coast of Cumbria. She graduated from Central Saint Martin’s School of Art in 2015 and has since exhibited work in exhibitions and film festivals in the UK, Europe and Japan. In April 2018 she was also featured on BBC COUNTRYFILE where she demonstrated how to develop 16mm film using seaweed.

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.

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.

Charlie Booth: Project Coordinator / Manager

Charlie is our Adult Programme Director here at Signal, overseeing our West Coast Photo Festival. Additionally Charlie is Community Engagement Manager at Manchester Histories (& helped deliver the award-winning project Peterloo 2019) & has her own independent curatorial and producing practice. Working previously at the Hepworth Wakefield and South Square Gallery in Bradford as a Curatorial Fellow, she has worked on a variety of exhibition delivery roles such as Assistant Curator for the Tall Tales National Touring exhibition and Exhibitions Coordinator for Let’s Go Global.