Referees
Giles Trendle
Former Managing Director/Director of Programmes, Al Jazeera English
trendleg@yahoo.co.uk
Diarmuid Jeffreys
Former Head of Investigative Programmes, Al Jazeera English
diarmuidjeffreys100@gmail.com
Neil Cairns
Series Producer "Earthrise"
cairns.neil@gmail.com
Dick Bower
Executive Producer, Rockhopper TV
dick.bower@ntlworld.com
Farid Barsoum
Series
Giles Trendle
Former Managing Director/Director of Programmes, Al Jazeera English
trendleg@yahoo.co.uk
Diarmuid Jeffreys
Former Head of Investigative Programmes, Al Jazeera English
diarmuidjeffreys100@gmail.com
Neil Cairns
Series Producer "Earthrise"
cairns.neil@gmail.com
Dick Bower
Executive Producer, Rockhopper TV
dick.bower@ntlworld.com
Farid Barsoum
Series Producer, Al Jazeera Correspondent
farid.barsoum@aljazeera.com
Employment History
While I have been focussing exclusively on making programmes that provide insight into and solutions for the environmental crisis since 2016, over the past 25 years I have had a varied career which has enabled me to cover a huge range of subjects, shoot around the world, live in several different countries, learn a few languages and acquire an unusual collection of skills.
I was lucky enough to get my first job in television, as a
While I have been focussing exclusively on making programmes that provide insight into and solutions for the environmental crisis since 2016, over the past 25 years I have had a varied career which has enabled me to cover a huge range of subjects, shoot around the world, live in several different countries, learn a few languages and acquire an unusual collection of skills.
I was lucky enough to get my first job in television, as a researcher on a South Bank Show for ITV, the day after I handed in my master's thesis on the coverage of Muslims in the British media. For the next 10 years, I worked my way up the ranks as a freelancer, largely on arts, culture and historical documentaries. This included, for example, working as Assistant Producer for a year in the LWT Arts Department on "2000 Years", Melvyn Bragg's landmark series on the history of Christianity, and for two years in the BBC History Department with Laurence Rees on "Timewatch". Other productions include "The Greeks" (Atlantic for BBC2/DDE) and "Ancient Inventions" (Seventh Art for Discovery).
I left the BBC in 2003 and went on to Associate Produce a drama-documentary series on the Ottoman Harem which I got commissioned by Channel 4. Following that, I won a Commonwealth Broadcasting Association Bursary to develop programme ideas in India. I set off with a backpack and a camera and ended up living and making films there for two years. On my return to London in 2005, I was commissioned by BBC3's new talent strand, "Fresh", to make a film about anorexia in India which I produced, directed, shot and presented.
Since then, I have PD'd, shot and presented documentaries and current affairs programmes around the world. These include: the first programme of a BBC2 presenter-led series which looked at the lives of Muslim women, for which I filmed in Yemen; an investigative film fronted by Rageh Omaar about Asian heroin gangs in Britain, for Virgin 1; and a documentary about glacial melt in the Peruvian Andes and the disastrous effect of this on the inhabitants of Lima for Hot Cities, a landmark BBC/PBS series on climate change.
In 2011 I was commissioned to present and PD a number of reports for Al Jazeera English's environmental series, "earthrise" which looks at green solutions in a lively engaging and hands-on style. On the back of this, having learnt that I speak Turkish, Al Jazeera invited me to Istanbul to help set up a new channel there. I had a wide remit in my role as In-House Manager, not only training and running the 16-person in-house team but, for an extended period, the whole Programmes Department of 36 people, as well as overseeing all the channel's award-winning documentary output (over 100 hours/year) and being heavily involved in channel management.
At the same time, I continued to make my own films for Al Jazeera English, including several reports for "earthrise" and a film for "Al Jazeera Correspondent" which followed me as I decided whether or not to freeze my eggs. The first film to explore this subject, it opened up space for a much-needed conversation and I still get contacted about it today.
In 2016, I moved to Doha to executive produce" earthrise", which I also present at times. I reformatted the series, turning it into a multi award-winning programme that is distributed widely across the Al Jazeera Network. Subjects covered include regenerative agriculture, sustainable food systems, preventing pandemics, the critical importance of indigenous communities in defending the natural world, protecting habitats and wildlife, renewable energy and the role of faith in inspiring behaviour change. Awards received include ones from The Association of International Broadcasters, One World Media, New York Festivals TV & Film and Covering Climate Now.
In between seasons of "earthrise", I also present and produce other environmental programmes including "Planet SOS", a weekly show on the climate and nature crisis which I was instrumental in getting commissioned and was asked to host from the studio.
I am now looking for opportunities to build on my experience of making environmental programmes for Al Jazeera. I am keen to deliver more impactful content which highlights the urgent need for systemic transformation in order to ensure a just and sustainable future and which inspires and galvanises audiences to take action.
Additional Information
Programme Types
Arts, Business, Current Affairs, Documentary, Docusoap, Education, Factual, Factual Entertainment, Historical Documentary, Investigative, Observational Documentary, Religion, Science, Travel
Specialisms
Current Affairs, Dance, Environment, History, Human Rights, International Affairs, Languages, Location Filming, Mental Health, Middle East, Music, News & Current Affairs, People Finding, Programme Development, Religion, South East Asia, Travel, Womens Issues, Writing