15/09/2011

Creative England (CE), the dedicated support agency for England’s creative industries outside of London, has appointed Caroline Norbury as its first CEO. The agency was formed last year as an umbrella body encompassing the Regional Screen Agencies.

Come October, CE will be the nodal point to develop film in the English regions and also be the British Film Institute’s (BFI) delegated body for fund disbursement. CE has a total budget of £4.5 million and will seek more from public and commercial sources.

Since 2002, Caroline has been the Chief Executive of South West Screen and in June 2011 was appointed as Interim Establishment Director of CE.

CE Chairman John Newbigin said, “I welcome Caroline’s appointment as CE’s first CEO. She brings to the job her wide experience as a working producer and as Chief Executive of one of the most successful of the regional screen agencies. Her consistent advocacy of closer collaboration between the English regions, her commitment to building industry wide partnerships, and her embrace of film as part of a wider world of digital media, puts her in a particularly strong position to make CE an effective agency to support talent, businesses and audiences, right across the country.”

Norbury said, “Our first big job is to make sure there is a seamless transfer of film provision for England’s rich and varied industry outside of London, and to get CE staff in place to deliver that service. This will be our main focus in the next few months, but I am totally committed to achieving the long term goal of transforming the provision for creative industries in England moving forward.”