A. A. Dhand was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired his Harry Virdee novels, which has recently been turned into a six-part BBC drama - the first novel by a British Asian to do so.

As Managing Director, YouTube UK & Ireland, Alison is responsible for working with Government & Policy Makers and partnering with creators, brands and the music industry to ensure that YouTube remains at the forefront of the creator economy.

Alison has spent her career at the intersection of technology and creativity, both in the public sector working for Government departments including MI5 and Foreign office and in advertising agencies before joining Google in 2011 where she led various commercial & creative teams.  In January 2023 Alison joined YouTube as Managing Director, UK & Ireland. Inside and outside of Google, she is a diversity champion, a member of WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications, Leadership), Director of Trans in the City and has played an integral role in the acceleration of women’s football.

Anita Rani is an RTS Award winning broadcaster with a career spanning nearly 20 years. She is currently one of the lead presenters of BBC One’s Countryfile and she also presents Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She recently led the second series of Aldi’s Next Big Thing for Channel 4 and is a regular appearance on shows such as Pointless, The Wheel and The One Show. Adding bestselling author to her list of achievements, she published her memoir The Right Sort of Girl in 2015, following by debut novel Baby Does a Runner in 2023.

Anita was made a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador in 2021 and recently became Chancellor of the University of Bradford – her hometown. She has since implemented the Rani Scholarship helping those from underrepresented backgrounds into higher education.

Anna has been making films for nearly 30 years! She is a BAFTA winner, having been nominated for 7 in total, and is the only woman ever to be nominated two consecutive years for the BAFTA CRAFT Best Factual Director Award. She won a BAFTA in 2023 for ‘Libby are you home yet?’ (Sky) and in 2024 won Best Doc Series at the Griersons for ‘The Push.’ She's well known for her 17-year enquiry into gang grooming and broke the story in 2004 with her first feature length doc 'Edge of the City' for Channel 4. Since then, she has directed a huge variety of content, both current affairs and documentary, and many of Anna’s films have gone on to create change in legislation. She execs pretty much all of Candour’s output and sees Candour as fulfilling her life-long dream of providing a home for filmmakers in the North.

As Chief Executive of Screen Yorkshire, Caroline champions the film, TV and wider screen industries in Yorkshire & Humber and provides leadership to a talented team of industry experts who deliver skills and talent development, production support and content investment. Caroline’s 25-year career within the screen industries has evolved from running her first production company with acclaimed music video director Dawn Shadforth to her previous role as Head of Creative at Screen Yorkshire.  Along this journey she has spent time as Talent Development Executive for Scottish Film Talent Network, Head of Film at Creative England, Head of Creative Development at Warp X, managed the UK Film Council’s nationwide short film programme through her company Lifesize Pictures and spent a year as Director of the Sheffield International Documentary Festival.

Caroline specialises in gaining sensitive access both with individuals and large organisations, and has developed a mixed Factual slate of premium docs, singles, formats and observational series across all UK Channels and Streamers since joining ITN in 2020. Prior to ITN, she was an Exec Producer for the BBC working in Current Affairs and Docs Unit based in Salford, across brands like The One Show, Dragons Den and Rip Off Britain. She's passionate about developing talent in the regions, and providing support to those just starting out their careers in factual television.

Channique is an actor and creative from the North West. Graduating in 2018, from UCLAN with an BA hons in Acting, she now calls Manchester home.

She is currently playing Dee-Dee Bailey in Coronation Street but has worked as a director and writer for theatre, prior to this. In her first year in Coronation Street Channique won the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer and was nominated in the Rising Star category at the 28th National Television Awards.She is passionate about the arts and telling important stories and has been keen to advocate for representation and accessibility in the industry. She’s delighted to be speaking in Bradford just down the road from her home town!

Claire Collins is a Midlands-based costume designer working within television. Graduating from The Arts University Bournemouth in 2003 she went on to win the BBC Vision Design Prize, launching her into the world of Film and Television. Working mainly within Period drama, Claire has built up a knowledge and passion for costume design, fabric and print. Her design approach integrates her understanding of period silhouette and textiles with her aim to convey a story through character, colour, and composition within a set. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the series "Sister Boniface Mysteries" for BritBox/BBC Studios, Claire received the RTS Midlands Craft Award in 2022. Claire has worked for over a decade helping young people gain experience and opportunities in the industry. In 2023 Claire was made an Honorary Fellow of costume for the Arts University Bournemouth. Working mainly in the Midlands as she raises her family, Claire is passionate about contributing to the regions industry.

David Smyth is a Commissioner in the Entertainment team at ITV, a role he's held for 5 years. He's responsible for shows such as The Assembly, In For a Penny and The Royal Variety Performance. He's also commissioned a series of documentaries such as John & Joe Bishop: Life After Deaf, Adam Lambert: Out, Loud and Proud and will i am: The Blackprint.

Part of the role also involves receiving pitches for new formats and ideas in the Entertainment genre. Prior to Commissioning, David produced shows such as The Voice, Love Island, Strictly Come Dancing, Come Dine With Me and Children in Need.

Dhivya is a Liverpool-based filmmaker whose interests and screen work span documentary and fiction. Her directing credits include Glasgow, Love & Apartheid (BBC Scotland/Screen Scotland); When Tina Turner Came to Britain (Wise Owl Films, BBC2); The Barber (Moquette Films, BFI Network, Film4) Bee Whisperer (Netflix Doc Talent Fund) and The Brontës by Anita Rani: Sisters of Disruption (Wise Owl Films, Sky Arts) - a moving and intersectional look at the ground-breaking Brontë Sisters and their impact on writer and broadcaster, Anita Rani. Dhivya currently has a diverse slate of documentary and fiction projects in early development and was selected as one of the 2025 / 2026 BAFTA Elevate cohort.

Eden Taylor-Draper was born in Selby, Yorkshire. She has portrayed Belle Dingle in ITV's popular soap opera Emmerdale since she was eight years old, making her one of the show's long-standing cast members.Throughout her career, Eden has tackled numerous challenging storylines, with her portrayal of a domestic abuse victim being particularly notable. This powerful performance earned her the prestigious Inside Soap Award for Best Actor. Over her years on Emmerdale, she has received numerous other awards recognising her talent and dedication to the role.Beyond her acting career, Eden is passionate about cooking, all things food and travel. She is constantly seeking to develop her skills and broaden her horizons through new experiences.

Eleanor Neale is a leading voice in the true crime space, best known for her in-depth storytelling on her YouTube channel, recently re-branded as OUTLORE Podcast. With hundreds of millions of views, her signature long-form content blends meticulous research with empathy and psychological insight. Eleanor has built a loyal global following, making complex cases accessible while championing mental health and survivor awareness.

Fran Baker is a Manchester-based BBC Documentaries commissioning editor who has commissioned and looked after a range of singles and series including Ambulance, Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour, Louis Theroux: The Settlers, The Plymouth Shootings and Zara McDermott: Stalked. Before commissioning, Fran spent most of her career in Manchester and Exec Produced for 10years in-house at Blakeway North, as a freelance Exec and running her own production company. Winning commissions as well as looking after multiple singles and series including Killed by a Rich Kid, Manchester Bomb: Our Story, Can Sex Offenders Change, Death on the Common and Soldier: Made in Yorkshire, Fran has championed new documentary making talent in the north throughout her career and looked after a number of new directors’ films.

Gwen is an executive producer at Warp Films where she has worked for the last four years most recently producing Reunion, a bilingual English and BSL drama for BBC One. Gwen started off her career in film and TV production before moving over to script development where she has worked at a number of production companies including World Productions, Bad Wolf and Mainstreet Pictures as well as some time in drama commissioning at Channel 4.

Gwyneth Hughes is a Bafta-nominated screenwriter, whose most recent work is the multiple award winning ITV serial Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

She was born in London, the daughter of a police constable from North Wales, and studied Russian at Sussex University, before moving to the north of England to train as a newspaper reporter on the Sheffield Morning Telegraph. Gwyn’s first job in broadcasting was on the Yorkshire Television regional newsdesk. From there she became a Bafta-nominated documentary director specializing in history and true crime, and began her move from factual TV into drama on cop shows like The Bill and Silent Witness. Her original thriller miniseries Five Days, and her Tippi Hedren biopic The Girl, were both nominated for the Baftas and the Golden Globes. Her classic dramatizations include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Vanity Fair, and Miss Austen Regrets.