Press enquiries
Please contact our PR and Marketing Manager: beth.spencer@illumina.co.uk / +44 (0)20 8600 3464.
Press releases
1st February 2008
Wannabes returns in February
After the success of last year's airing of the BBC Interactive drama Wannabes, the 14-part series returns this February. This online series for teens follows a group of friends living in Brighton, each keen to be a star! Wannabes is broadcast at http://www.bbc.co.uk/wannabes and weaves video, animation and games to develop the storylines.
Illumina Digital developed the concept, the content and the site for the BBC. The high level of interactivity, created by Illumina, reflects the target audience's technological knowledge and current lack of interest in traditional dramas or soaps.
Viewers last year loved that they had an evolving experience of Wannabes. Throughout the show they can get involved helping the characters to make decisions, choose outfits or simply get out of bed on time for an interview. Each viewer has their own distinct and unique experience with this acclaimed and innovative drama series.
New browser window: Wannabes website
18th January 2008
Prize winning film co-produced by Illumina Digital
Illumina Digital would like to congratulate Karen Guthrie and Nina Pope on winning the first Northern Art Prize last night. Their installation filled an entire room at Leeds Art Gallery and included the acclaimed documentary film Bata-ville.
Bata-ville, co-produced by Illumina Digital, follows passengers on an English coach trip to the origins of the Bata shoe empire - the Moravian town of Zlin. Against the backdrop of economic regeneration in their communities, former employees of two, now closed, UK Bata factories are led by Pope and Guthrie on a unique journey through Bata's legacy and across a changing Europe. What begins as a free holiday soon becomes an opportunity for a collective imagining of what Tomas Bata's inspirational maxim, "We are not afraid of the future" can mean in 21st century Britain.
Illumina Digital worked with Pope and Guthrie co-producing and delivering the final documentary film. Andrew Chitty, Managing Director of Illumina Digital comments; "Congratulations Karen and Nina - we are delighted the film has achieved the recognition it deserves. I wish you luck for all future endeavours."
To purchase a copy of the DVD or to view the film's trailer, please go to www.bata-ville.com.
New browser window: Bata-ville website
Empire's Children to interact online with new channel 4 website
Channel 4 is launching a new user-driven website to complement a six-part history series, EMPIRE'S CHILDREN. The series - to be broadcast from July 2nd - examines how the dismantlement and legacy of the British Empire have impacted on modern Britain and shaped our national identity.
The site - www.channel4.com/empire - was created by BAFTA award-winning digital production company Illumina Digital, who worked with series producers Wall to Wall, to create an online space that enables anyone with connections to the Empire to trace, record and share their own family history online.
The Empire's Children site features the personal experiences of ten members of the public with their own end-of-Empire story to tell. Driven by user-generated content, the site will act as a forum for more shared memories and experiences from the general public and allow users to share useful family history tips related to this period of British history. The website will reflect a broad range of perspectives on the Empire, showcasing the stories of families who left Britain to make lives for themselves out in the Empire as well as those who came to settle in Britain from the colonies.
The Empire's Children series will uncover the family histories of Diana Rigg, Chris Bisson (Shameless), Adrian Lester (Hustle), Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street), former SDP leader David Steel and comedian Jenny Éclair, whose stories will also be made available online as each episode is broadcast, offering an extraordinary insight into the history of the end of the British Empire and its fall-out on Britain right up until today. As a specialist online resource the website will contain a research guide with advice and information on tracing Empire lineage, alongside country histories and an interactive map to guide users through the rise and decline of the Empire. Anyone with an interest in the history of the Empire will also have access to a wealth of archive images and videos from the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum.
Andrew Chitty, Managing Director of Illumina Digital said: "For Empire's Children online, our mission has been to combine Wall to Wall's brilliant TV show with a user-generated content site that allows the audience to contribute their own family stories. The participatory approach is a real step towards true, cross-platform commissioning for Channel 4 and independent production companies."
Actor Chris Bisson, who features in the programme added, "Most people with parents and grandparents from the former colonies wouldn't have the first clue how to go about tracing their ancestry, despite the fact that so many remarkable records do exist. I had a huge production team behind me to find mine. The Empire's Children website remedies that... it's a fantastic online resource, helping people take their first steps as they embark on their journey back in time and place in search of their lost ancestry."
If you have an interesting Empire story or know someone who does, www.channel4.com/empire will be the ideal place to share such recollections, air your views on the role and effect of the Empire, and help others trying to research their own Empire history.
New browser window: Empire's Children web site
New browser window - PDF file: Empire's Children press release
Summer of British Film - Illumina Digital builds new BBC site to host user-generated film content
Award-winning new media company Illumina Digital has built a new, user-driven website for the BBC - bbc.co.uk/britishfilm. Launched as part of BBC TWO's Summer of British Film season taking place later this year, the site features inspired tributes to British cinema in the form of amateur film clips and a forum for film lovers to share their ideas and experiences.
In the run up to the Summer of British Film season, budding amateur filmmakers and actors are invited to remake scenes from their favourite British films and upload them to the BBC mini movies group on YouTube. The Illumina-built site will showcase the best entries and allow users to comment on and rate their peer's efforts. The best clips will be shown on BBC TWO during the Summer of British Film season.
"The Summer of British Film website is a great way to make user-generated content more accessible to the public," said Davie McGirr, Director of Design and Development at Illumina Digital. "Our forum encourages an online social interaction that is both entertaining and informative as it celebrates the public's love of British film, and we're pleased to be playing such major role in driving audience participation on a multi-media platform."
New browser window: Summer of British Film web site
New browser window - PDF file: Summer of British Film press release
Wannabes goes live
Award-winning new media company Illumina Digital's latest interactive broadband project for the BBC, Wannabes, goes live today, 22 January 2007 at www.bbc.co.uk/wannabes.
Bollywood film star Sheena Bhattessa, T4 TV presenter Danann Breathnach and theatre star Anna Winslet head the cast for the twice weekly series which was filmed in London and Brighton.
Wannabes follows the story of Leila Ahmed, a feisty young would be newspaper reporter who leaves behind her previous life to start afresh in Brighton where she falls in with a group of aspiring young writers, pop stars and celebrities at a club called 'Wannabes'. Told over 14 short episodes, the series follows the characters as they pursue their personal ambitions and dreams.
Sheena Bhattessa plays the central character, Leila. A former Miss India finalist and Zee TV presenter, Sheena has also starred in various Bollywood productions.
Former Hollyoaks actor, Dannan Breathnach, plays Leila's love interest, undercover cop Paul. And Anna Winslet, elder sister of Titanic starlet Kate, plays Jocasta Harding, a thrusting ex-Fleet Street local newspaper editor who takes a shine to Leila and offers her a job.
Set in Brighton and centred on a buzzing nightclub of the same name, Wannabes will follow the lives of a group of friends, nineteen and twenty year-olds who really want to be something in their lives.
Do the characters all get what they want? Of course not, because life's not like that.
The drama and comedy of Wannabes comes through the characters quandaries and complex realities of life.
What's different about Wannabes is that it is only for broadcast online and it weaves video, animation and games to involve viewers in the plot of the series. Each viewer will have a different experience of Wannabes, throughout the show they will get involved helping the characters to make decisions, choose outfits or simply get out of bed on time for an interview.
You build a relationship or Friendship Rating with the characters, depending on the advice you give them, which affects the way they communicate with you. If you get a high score with Charlie she'll treat you as a pal and send you bonus clips and share secrets with you if you cross her she'll clam up until you start helping her again.
The cast of Wannabes also includes the West End theatre actor John Paul Hevey, Dream Team stars Pippa Nixon and Duane Henry, veteran TV star Brian Croucher, and a number of other special guests who play cameos as themselves. They include the double Olympic gold medal winning athlete Dame Kelly Holmes. The middle distance runner appears as a sports instructor.
Written by newcomers Ariane Sherine and Will Jewell, Wannabes is directed by Rik Lander, a video pioneer who in the 1980s, as one half of the Duvet Brothers, created "scratch video". Lander's TV credits range from A History of British Art to Eurotrash and Lonely Planet.
Using a mixture of streamed video, interactivity, animation and games, Wannabes encourages its TV web viewers to become part of the club crowd. The Wannabes characters ask for advice on their relationships and life choices and award viewers a rating, depending on how much they value them as a friend.
New browser window: Wannabes web site
Illumina Digital Gets the Nation Cooking
Award-winning new media company Illumina Digital's latest interactive broadband learning project for the BBC, Get Cooking, goes live next month.
Available exclusively online from Monday, December 11, Get Cooking features more than 20 hours of interactive cookery programmes featuring a team of six leading TV chefs including Sophie Grigson, Mike Robinson, Lesley Waters, Mitch Tonks, Madhur Jaffrey and Paul Merrett.
The Get Cooking website will include:
- 100 interactive recipe videos demonstrated by top chefs, presented within 27 subject sections (eg cakes and baking; fish; pastry; knife skills)
- 100 detailed technique video clips featuring special insiders' tips and advice (e.g. how to dice an onion like a professional)
- Six video guides to buying the freshest and best meat and fish
- Step-by-step captioned photography for each recipe - which can be printed off to take into the kitchen
- In-depth editorial for every section covering buying, storing and cooking of everyday ingredients
- An easy to search facility - users can look through 'Starters; Main courses; Desserts; Sweet things, Quick things or search via the A-Z index page
- A sleek, fresh design which is akin to entering a smart, contemporary kitchen surrounded by your favourite chefs
During each video, viewers will have the option of launching detailed techniques relevant to the recipe. For example, when watching Mike Robinson sears his roast beef users can watch a detailed clip and explanation about searing before watching the rest of the recipe.
A spokeswoman from bbc.co.uk/food, said: "Get Cooking is a ground-breaking online experience bringing you more than 20 hours of never-seen-before, top quality cookery programmes. The viewer chooses what they want to watch, when they want to watch it - and creates their own online cookery series.
"Get Cooking has worked with some of the most respected food experts of our day to help the nation cook better - after all, who wouldn't want to cook a great meal?"
Davie McGirr, Executive Producer for Illumina Digital, said: "Get Cooking is as close as the viewers can get to having some of the country's best chefs right there in their very own kitchens. It's a novel leap forward from a linear cookery show to a personalized cooking experience... and all of the material featured is brand new."
Get Cooking was commissioned by BBC Interactive executive producer Yvonne Covell and is located at www.bbc.co.uk/food/get_cooking.
New browser window: Get Cooking web site
New browser window - PDF file: Get Cooking press release
Monday 6 November 2006
Illumina wins new QIA tender
Illumina Digital, as part of a consortium led by BDP media and including Software Logistics, has been contracted as part of a consortium, to develop teaching and learning resources as part of the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA)'s National Teaching and Learning Change Programme. The resources are set to build on the previous work of the Standards Unit and the QIA and will be aligned to the new Specialised Diplomas, due to be launched in schools in 2008.
The consortium has been awarded four out of the five subjects in the first wave of Specialised Diplomas - ICT, Engineering, Construction and Health and Social Care. There will also be development of resources for cross-curricular themes.
Resources will be designed based on a blended learning approach and will include booklets, board and card games, e-learning objects, and video. They will be written by key people in the field and extensively trialed and piloted with hundreds of teachers and thousands of students in sixth form colleges, FE Colleges, work-based learning providers and prisons. They will be produced by a highly-skilled team of designers, writers, editors, video producers and developers and manufactured and assembled by Software Logistics Ltd to be distributed free of charge to colleges across the country.
The contract has been awarded for 18 months running until March 2008.
New browser window: QIA web site
Tuesday 24 October 2006
RISE launch Digital Learning Passport
Illumina Digital's latest educational project, the Digital Learning Passport, launches this week on the Welsh-based RISE Learning Network, the UK's largest adult learning network.
The Digital Learning Passport enables students to manage several courses over different learning platforms. As the system is web-based, the RISE DLP will link to courses across the RISE Partnership and to all courses held within the learning choices database plus 150 e-learning courses through University for Industry. It has been developed in close partnership with Careers Wales, which enables learners to access the tools and resources of the Careers Wales eProgress File.
Mike Dicks, Head of Development at Illumina Digital, said, "This is the most learner-focused software we have produced to date and we are proud to be involved with such an innovative project."
Dave Waddington, Director of RISE, added, "Our objective in developing the DLP is to provide a learning platform that is managed by the learners throughout their lives. We want to ensure that learners have an ongoing facility that not only has a comprehensive range of online support but is a permanent record of their learning experiences and signposts them for the future."
The official launch of the RISE Digital Learning Passport took place on Tuesday, 24 October, 2006, at the Senedd in Cardiff.
New browser window: RISE Digital Learning Passport website
New browser window: Careers Wales Online website
New browser window: University of Industry website
New browser window: Ping Wales news article website
Stagework wins at Best of BETT 2006
Stagework the online learning project produced with the National Theatre has won the prestigious BETT Award for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 English. The BETT Awards "identify and reward high quality technological products and services that are proving to be effective in the education sector." They are a partnership between Becta, the government body for ICT in education, trade association BESA, BETT organisers EMAP, and magazine EC&T.This completes a clutch of major UK and international interactive awards for www.stagework.org commissioned by DCMS Culture Online. Stagework has won two BAFTA Interactive Awards for Factual and for Learning, the Association of Online Publishers Design Award, has been commended by BIMA and Learning On Screen, and won in the e-learning category of the UN Global World Summit Award (WSA), run by the International Center for New Media (ICNM).
New browser window: Stagework website
New browser window: Becta website
New browser window: Bett Awards 2006 website
Illumina Digital Begins Casting for BBC Interactive Soap
Casting begins in January for Wannabes, the new interactive web based soap opera produced by Illumina Digital for the BBC.
Set in Brighton and shot on video, Wannabes follows the lives of a group of young people as they try to launch their careers in music, television and film. The serial is aimed at teenagers with access to broadband.
Rik Lander (Mecannibals, Turner Prize) has been appointed director and producer of the show which transmits in the autumn and run for seven weeks. Two episodes will be available online each week, with interactive elements enabling viewers to influence the content.
Ariane Sherine (Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Countdown, The Worst Witch) and Will Jewell (Rewind, Family Division, Dream Team) are scripting the series which will include a multiple choice element that will allow the programme to "respond" to viewer suggestions and advice.
The show includes a main cast of seven, plus cameo roles from personalities who will be drawn from the creative industries.
"The teenage audience is ideal for this kind of innovative, interactive format. Most of the interactivity is not about changing events, it's about getting closer to the characters and helping them make difficult personal choices," said Lander. "Through the advice that you give, you fall in or out with the characters. It's all about balancing friendship and aspiration."
Mike Dicks, Head of Development at Illumina Digital, added: "By making use of cross media, we're creating new engaging content for all media, personalising the way we like to be entertained."
The Executive Producers are Joanne Evans for Illumina Digital and Jamie Cason for the BBC.
Friday 5 August 2005
Edinburgh Film Festival Premiere
"Bataville - we are not afraid of the future" will premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August. 'A sad film about hope' directed by artists Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie and produced by Illumina Digital.
New browser window - PDF file: Bata-ville press release |
New browser window: Bataville website
BBC GCSE Bitesize
We have created two complete new modules for BBC GCSE Bitesize in Geography and Design & Technology to bring them up to date. Illumina is the only independent supplier to have developed new learning materials for the increasingly popular BBC Bitesize site.
New browser window: BBC GCSE Bitesize website
BBC Editorial Guidelines
The new BBC Editorial Guidelines are now live. Developed and built by Illumina Digital working with the BBC Editorial Policy team, the Guidelines, are the bible for every BBC programme maker, web developer and independent supplier. The website launch coincides with a new version of the book. The guidelines have never before been available online in a searchable form.
New browser window: BBC Editorial Guidelines website
Royal Shakespeare Company
Exploring Shakespeare has launched with unique behind the scenes video access to the RSC productions of Hamlet and Macbeth from the 2004 Tragedies' season, and rich learning materials.
New browser window: Exploring Shakespeare website
Awards
We have three nominations in the New Statesman New Media Awards: two for Teachers' TV and one for Stagework.
New browser window: New Statesman New Media Awards website
Wednesday 2nd March 2005
Illumina Digital was a three time winner at the BAFTA Interactive Awards 2005 at the Café Royal on Wednesday evening 2nd March 2005
Stagework - www.stagework.org.uk, won in two categories:
Factual - the best use of digital media to deliver factual information; and
Learning - the best e-learning work aimed at life-long learning and not specifically for children.
This theatre education resource was produced by Illumina Digital with Simulacra for the National Theatre and regional partners and commissioned by Culture Online for DCMS.
The BAFTA juries described Stagework as a "Superbly stylish site, developing the educational potential of four National Theatre productions. Stagework is beautifully designed with well-written content and plenty of depth."
New browser window: Stagework website
Careers Wales Online - www.careerswales.com, won in the category of best Technical and Social Innovation of any kind applied across technical media.
This innovative careers service was developed by Illumina Digital with Arc Software for the Careers Wales Association and funded by the Welsh Assembly. It has been deployed throughout Wales to promote life long learning. The Careers Wales Online portal provides a complete set of online resources based around the Vitaelity e-portfolio and is designed to provide career and job information, links with employers and provide tools to aid self-assessment, action planning and decision making. It aims to provide it's users with the tools necessary to achieve their potential at any stage in their life time.
New browser window: Careers Wales Online website
Thursday 6th January 2005
Careers Wales Online has been nominated for the 2005 BAFTA Award for Technical and Social Innovation
Launched in Nov 2004 by Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, CWO is the new bi lingual national careers and educational guidance service for the National Assembly of Wales. It deploys Europe's first national e-portfolio system built around Illumina's Vitaelity™ product and is a central reference point for young people, adults, lifelong learners, careers professionals and education professionals
Careers Wales Online has been nominated for the 2005 BAFTA Award for Technical and Social Innovation.
New browser window: Careers Wales Online website
Thursday 6th January 2005
Stagework has been nominated for the 2005 BAFTA Awards in Factual and in Education
As an insight into the work that goes into mounting major theatre productions with a combination of everything from interviews to picture galleries and video clips, Stagework gives insight into the work that goes into mounting major theatre productions at the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. "It's impossible to do justice to Stagework by summarising what's there." Education Guardian
Stagework has been nominated for the 2005 BAFTA Awards in Factual and in Education.
New browser window: Stagework website
Thursday 29th April 2004
"It's impossible to do justice to Stagework"
So says the Education Guardian 9th March 2004 describing our latest project www.stagework.org.uk featuring new productions from the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic adding: "You can only appreciate this thought-provoking resource by losing yourself for a couple of hours (or days!)." Stagework, it continues, is "an invaluable resource for drama practitioners and teachers alike. Beautifully designed pages invite the user to explore every aspect of current and recent NT productions, from costume design to casting, rehearsal to stage fighting."
New browser window: Stagework website
Wednesday 28th April 2004
Discovery Science Documentary
The Electric Man a major science documentary for Discovery Health USA is now in post-production. It focuses on the strange phenomenon of thousands of people, who believe they have the mental power to affect electrical equipment. One particular group, known as sliders, maintain they can turn street lights on and off. The programme puts these claims to the test, to reveal new secrets of the human mind.
Monday 5th January 2004 - Wales Biggest Ever Online Poll Reveals 100 Heroes
Culturenet Cymru 100 Welsh Heroes/100 Arwyr Cymru: Shortlist Revealed
The 100 most nominated names in the biggest-ever poll of Welsh national heroes are published today. The list - encompassing high achievers from science, culture, sport, politics, religion and education - has been compiled from more than 41,000 nominations received by organisers Culturenet Cymru.
Voting at the official website www.100welshheroes.com (English) and www.100arwyrcymru.com (Cymraeg) recommences on 5th January and continues until 23rd February. The final results - including the name considered the greatest Welsh person of all time - will be announced at a special event in Cardiff on St David's Day (March 1st).
The website designed and built by Illumina Digital has now been updated to include detailed biographical information on every Welsh Hero as voted for by the public. It is made up of the 20 most popular names in each of the five nomination categories - Creatives, Groundbreakers, Leaders, Thinkers and Performers.
New browser window - PDF file: Careers Wales Online press release
Monday 1st December 2003
Culture Online
Stagework takes a look behind the scenes of theatre. It explores how theatre opens up important issues about society - to create a rich learning resource for pupils and teachers as well as those interested in a career in the creative industries.
Stagework will use some of the best current theatrical productions in England as the basis for creating a rich web resource that will appeal not only to students, teachers and those interested in theatre, but also to those who usually find theatre inaccessible. It sheds light on some of the creative and craft processes that turn a text into an unforgettable emotional experience.
Stagework is commissioned by Culture Online for the DCMS and produced in conjunction with the National Theatre by Illumina Digital and Simulacra Media.
New browser window - PDF file: Stagework press release
Monday 18th November 2002 - London and Cardiff
Announcement of major contract spurs co-operation deal
Illumina Digital and TM Communications and Media announced today their decision to form a co-production venture for communications solutions and new media content. The announcement follows the award of a major six-figure contract by the Careers Wales Association. The contract, which involves the creation of a web portal populated by educational and training material, will provide the technology platform and content to allow Careers Wales' services to be delivered on-line.
Stagework will use some of the best current theatrical productions in England as the basis for creating a rich web resource that will appeal not only to students, teachers and those interested in theatre, but also to those who usually find theatre inaccessible. It sheds light on some of the creative and craft processes that turn a text into an unforgettable emotional experience.
The contract is one of the biggest awarded to date to help achieve the Welsh Assembly Government's life-long career planning objectives. It also compliments the recently announced actions for the delivery of broadband technology for Wales.
New browser window - PDF file: Illumina Digital and TM Communications press release
Wednesday 23rd October 2002
Witness to History series launches on BBC Four
Described by BBC Four Controller Roly Keating as, "that rare thing a genuinely new television format" and "a different take on the history of the last twenty to thirty years," Witness to History launched to press acclaim.
The Sunday Telegraph said: "If you're fed up with pop history programmes patronising you with glib soundbites and daft reconstructions, then the unapologetically serious Witness to History is definitely for you." The Guardian called it " a great format", The Telegraph " a very accurate portrayal of history indeed", and Anthony Howard in The Times wrote, "I watched it with fascination.
Monday 14th October 2002
Parents' Music Room Goes Live
Parents' Music Room is web site for BBC Music designed to give the parents or carers, the information, advice and guidance you need to help your child develop their musical abilities to the full.
The site was launched at an event at Ocean in Hackney by Baroness Blackstone, Arts Minister at the DCMS, with speeches from Jenny Abramsky BBC Director of Radio & Music, and Michael Stephenson, Joint Director BBC Factual & Learning with performances from children from the Islington Music Centre under their Director, Richard Frostick.
New browser window: BBC Parents' Music Room website
Thursday 3rd October 2002
Tobu wins Grand Prix at BIMAs
The
digital curriculum pilot 'Tobu: Learn Japanese' produced by the
Illumina Digital team for the BBC won the BT Broadband Award for
Best Use of Content at the BIMA awards last night.
The Director of Marketing at BT said of the project,
"This site combines a fun interactive approach with easy-to-use navigation and a charming graphic style (sort of Pokemon meets Gorillaz)which must appeal to it's target audience".
Another Illumina Digital/BBC project "Digger and the Gang" came runner up in the Best Use of the Internet category.
Thursday 22nd August 2002
History World Wins New Statesman Award in Education
Historyworld.net designed and built by the Illumina Digital team won the New Statesman Award for Education last night. Last year the site was runner up to the 24 Hour Museum which was also originally designed by the Illumina team 4 years ago.
The Illumina Managing Director, Andrew Chitty said, "this awards show just how strong our Interactive's educational pedigree now is... and it shows the talent and depth of our team of designers and programmers".
New browser window: History World website
