Every year Creative England announces their CE50, an annual celebration of 50 of the most exciting, innovative and disruptive creative companies and individuals across the country.

This year Platform, and three of its members, Carse and Waterman, Enlighten and Rachel Shenton all made this exclusive list and increased the spotlight on the regions Moving Image quality, diversity and talent.

Heres what the report had to say about them….

Carse and Waterman

Since its inception in 2009, Carse & Waterman has grown in size and stature and has produced a number of award-winning projects, working with a variety of acclaimed names including Richard Ayoade, Simon West and Keith Lemon. Carse & Waterman’s service gives brands a way to tell personable stories to their audience in a uniquely engaging way.

Recent successes have kick-started further growth this year with the purchase of a new 4-storey studio (4,300 sq ft), an increased staff team of up to 20, and the facilities to deliver a new animation school supporting routes into the industry.

Enlighten

Enlighten is a truly inspirational company which has grown rapidly over a short period of time to become an authoritative name in the world of augmented reality and e-learning.

Enlighten is addressing the gap in quality online learning resources, reducing the need for face-to-face time when learning and transferring skills, reducing the monetary and environmental costs. By embracing and leading innovation in the sector Enlighten is improving the learner’s experience at a streamlined cost.

Enlighten’s co-founder and CEO Suzanne Edwards is a highly regarded female entrepreneur and “woman in tech”, who regularly speaks at high-level business and technology and is one of only seven people globally who sits on the executive council of CompTIA’s Emerging Tech community, encouraging more women and girls to consider tech-based careers through the “Power of 1” campaign.

Rachel Shenton

Rachel Shenton brought the issue of profound deafness to the public’s attention when she wrote and starred in short film The Silent Child, which then went on to win Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards. Leaning on her own experience to portray the loneliness and isolation of children who are affected and the attitudes of society, Shenton crafted a touching screenplay which resonated with audiences.

Shenton is now working on turning the film into a feature and has lent her voice to promote her hometown of Stoke in its bid to be the new home of Channel 4.

This year’s cohort highlights the move towards technology and creativity merging to create meaningful solutions to real-world problems, with many of the companies championing diversity, and giving a platform to unheard voices.

The list was hand-picked by Creative England, along with nominations from regional partners including The Growth Company in Greater Manchester, Cultivate Cornwall, Stoke City Council, Newcastle Gateshead Initiative and Tech Nation.

Read the full report here CE50 2018

To find out more about Platform click here: www.platformstaffs.com/about-us

For a list of our members click here: www.platformstaffs.com/directory

A selection of videos and images from our fantastic Be More Stoke event in March, courtesy of Creative England.

Spotlight – Jamie Finlay

Jamie Finlay (I Make Audio) explores the fundamental role of sound in film and games with live demo

Be more curious 

Insightful discussion around fundamentals of documentary development, production and distribution with Keith Farrell (Rabbit Punch Films), Jack Leigh (Eight Engines) and James Copson (Anattic TV)

Spotlight – Anna Mansi

Anna Mansi (Head of Certification, BFI) shares hints and tips for ensuring major budget savings with tax effective production

Spotlight – Dan Riley

Dan Riley (CEO, Spearhead Interactive) shares the story of his award-winning business that is leading the way in the conception, creation and deployment of immersive and interactive 3D solutions and experiences

Spotlight – Jo Booth

Jo Booth (Head Trainer & Guru, Social Media Makes Sense) discusses the integration of social media and TV and shares her expertise of running campaigns for acclaimed shows such as BBC’s Poldark and ITV’s Victoria

Be more inspired

In conversation with Mike Elliot, producer of Jawbone discussing the experience on set whilst filming in Stoke-on-Trent

Closing comments – Paul Ashton

Be More Stoke – in images