Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants Screening & Panel

Hannah Joshua, New Scientist Subeditor
After completing a masters’ degree in theoretical physics at Imperial College London, Hannah branched out into science journalism, joining the team at New Scientist as a subeditor.

In her time working for the magazine, she has appeared in Facebook live streams as Seven of Nine from Star Trek and learned a constructed language called Toki Pona for a feature on apps that can help us become bilingual.

When not busy editing the latest science and technology news, she can be found writing about her wacky inventions like teabag-dunking robots, pairs of shoes that summon taxis and phone chargers powered by applause. She also makes bite-size videos to showcase her creations and the deceptively simple circuits they contain.

Steve Crabtree, BBC Horizon Series Editor/ Executive producer.

Currently the Executive Producer of flagship BBC Science Strand ‘Horizon’ – Steve left school in 1985 and started work as a painter & decorator in Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited in Barrow in Furness, where he painted nuclear submarines. Steve left the shipyard in 1992, went to Art College and, after leaving college, taught music technology for a short time.

He started at the BBC in January 1999 as a junior researcher on ‘Tomorrow’s World’. Steve has produced and directed much of the BBC’s Science, Arts and Business programming, and made programmes across all four BBC television channels.

Cassie Williams, Head of Digital at The Royal Institution

Cassie has 15 years’ experience in managing digital video and content for the heritage, cultural and not-for-profit sector. Prior to working at the Ri, Cassie was Website Manager at the Science Museum and Senior Digital Content Manager at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Ri is home to the CHRISTMAS LECTURES which were begun by Michael Faraday almost 200 years ago and were first broadcast on BBC TV in 1936. The Ri also runs a successful YouTube channel with almost 400,000 subscribers featuring lectures along-side award winning short-documentaries and animations.

Prof. Julian Bayliss, Ecologist and Explorer.

Julian has worked in Africa for over 25 years, discovered over 20 new species to science, and also the largest rainforest in southern Africa.

He’s a highly dedicated, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Conservation Scientist. From a very early age he developed a passion for natural history which has grown into a successful career in species and habitat conservation.

Prof. Jonathan Butterworth, CERN, Head of Physics at UCL and Author.

Jon Butterworth is Head of UCL’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and works on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, where he was part of the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. He won the Chadwick prize of the Institute of Physics in 2013 for “pioneering experimental and phenomenological work in high energy particle physics, especially in the understanding of hadronic jets”.

He has appeared in several documentaries, including BBC Horizon, and has written two popular books and many articles on particle physics. He grew up in Manchester, studied at Oxford, worked at DESY in Hamburg and for Pennsylvania State University, and joined UCL in 1995.

Dan Moller, VFX- CG Lead at The Mill.

Dan Moller is a highly experienced CG Lead in The Mill’s London studio. His creative input is an integral part of helping to define and implement the overall style of a project.

He recently worked with Sir David Attenborough on a VR piece for the Natural History Museum, consulting with various curators and biologists to ensure anatomical and biomechanical accuracy in the specimens presented during the experience.

Other recent projects of his include leading the 3D work on the award-winning Opel Motorsport ‘Racing Faces’ as well as the iconic spot for the International Olympic Committee, ‘Become the Light.’

Nick Franco, Executive Producer – Director at 1185 Films.

Nick Franco has over twenty years of experience as a producer and director, working in a wide range of genres with a variety of directors and companies.

He recently directed, produced and edited the documentary Before the Big Bang, Episode Five. Featuring Stephen Hawking. He also planned and created the majority of the film’s CGI effects.

While You Live, Shine, on which he served as line producer, premiered at the Audi Dublin Film Festival in Feb 2018. Nick & 1185 Films are working with the film’s director to produce two other fully funded feature documentaries in 2018.

Avril McRory, Executive Producer/ Producer – Silverapples Media Ltd.

Avril MacRory’s contribution to UK broadcasting is significant. Moving from Head of Entertainment and Music RTE Ireland, she came to London to create the new Music department at Channel 4 TV, where she worked as Commissioning Editor for Music programmes. She was then headhunted to become Head of Music Programmes and Deputy Head of the Music and Arts Group at the BBC. In her career she also headed up the largest record breaking global TV project for the BBC as Head of Millennium Events for the year 2000, producing 28 hours of live programming from around the UK and working with 87 broadcasters around the world, to an audience of 2.7 million.

Avril now runs the award winning production company Silverapples Media Ltd., known for a broad range of award winning content in a variety of genres. Recent work includes a major collaboration with the Science Museum and NASA for PBS and Avril co-produced 4 series of The Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ starring Billie Piper. Current projects include the Blyth Tall Ships 2019 excursion to Antarctica and The Third Law, a major drama series for UK and US broadcast.

With two Emmys, A Prix Italia, and many other awards Avril continues to dedicate her time to creating new engaging projects.

Avril served as President of the IMZ for 8 years – the international lobbying association for the promotion of Music and Arts across all global media and is a founder member of the Women’s Irish Network in the UK.