ZOOM WEBINAR
Wednesday 31 March, 6-7pm AEST
FREE
Join Screen Queensland for a Q+A with internationally-acclaimed Australian circus ensemble Circa and Academy Award®-winning studio Aardman on their collaboration on the Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show.
Our panellists include Aardman’s Ngaio Harding Hill, Head of Attractions & Live Experiences, and Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director, joining us live from Bristol and Circa’s Shaun Comerford, Executive Director, and Tim Broughton, Head of Marketing from Brisbane.
ABOUT SHAUN THE SHEEP’S CIRCUS SHOW
Screen Queensland is proud to support Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show.
The entire family will be treated to a visual spectacle, with Aardman’s signature Shaun the Sheep animation, combined with live performance from Circa. Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show is packed full of smart wit and outright hilarity, as Circa simultaneously blurs the lines between movement, dance, theatre and circus.
Book now for performances in Brisbane this March, Cairns 26-28 March and Mackay 2-3 April 2021.
PANELLISTS
Ngaio Harding-Hill, Head of Attractions & Live Experiences at Aardman, is responsible for the strategic development and management of a portfolio of global attractions, exhibitions and live events. She has helped establish Shaun the Sheep as a force in global branded family entertainment with a growing location-based entertainment business that continues to expand the reach of Aardman’s iconic film and TV properties. Under her guidance the company has recently opened attractions in Japan and the UK, adding to Aardman’s portfolio that includes attractions in Sweden and Australia; International touring exhibitions; global touring stage shows and an international programme of live events throughout Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia, Japan, China and Australia. Upcoming projects include new attraction launches in Japan; a North America touring exhibition and a new global Shaun the Sheep Circus show.
Merlin Crossingham joined Aardman as an animator in 1996 having completing a degree in Film and Photography at the Newport Film School. Initially working on commercials before taking the roles of Key Animator on the feature film ‘Chicken Run’, and Second Unit Director on ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were Rabbit’. Merlin then co-directed the Creature Comforts USA series for CBS, for which he gained an Emmy nomination. He has since specialised in directing Wallace & Gromit at Aardman and in 2009 took on the role of Creative Director for Wallace & Gromit where Merlin directs all aspects of the Wallace and Gromit brand from merchandise and live shows to commercials and short films. Merlin also directed and voiced the re-launch series of Aardman’s oldest stop motion character, Morph in 2014, the second series in October 2016 and is currently Series Director on a new longer format series, The Epic Adventures of Morph which is set for release later in 2020. Other recent credits are Animation Director on Nick Park’s latest feature film ‘Early Man’, which was released in January 2018 and Creative Director on Wallace & Gromit’s first Augmented Reality story, The Big Fix Up – which launched December 2020.
Shaun Comerford is an Executive Manager and Producer who has worked across all business functions in the Arts, Events, and Music industries with extensive experience in event production, relationship management, financial modelling and control, contracting, fundraising, investment, legal compliance, marketing and public relations. From 2011 to 2014 as General Manager of theatrical producer, Newtheatricals, Shaun supervised the executive production of musicals and entertainment projects including Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, Rock of Ages, and Blue Man Group. In 2015 as General Manager, Production for the Michael Cassel Group, Shaun oversaw the development and launch of the 2016 Asia Tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Les Misérables. Prior to joining Circa, as Executive Director of Australian Dance Theatre, Shaun led the company through a period of change, culminating in the relocation to and refurbishment of Adelaide’s Odeon Theatre, and the presentation of the inaugural Adelaide Dance Festival. From 2017 – 2019, Shaun was also Vice President of Ausdance National, the peak body for dance in Australia.
Tim Broughton is Circa’s Head of Marketing. He has worked in arts marketing for over 10 years, most recently for Penguin Random House and HarperCollins Publishers in London. During this time he has managed marketing campaigns for new books by Jamie Oliver, Stephen Fry, David Attenborough and several television tie-in publications, notably Downton Abbey. Aside from overseeing Circa’s social media output and creating content that embraces the sense of wonder in a Circa show, Tim is also tasked with growing awareness of the Circa brand and appreciation for Circa work, at home in Queensland and internationally. Tim’s appointment serves as proof that there are many jobs in the circus for people who cannot cartwheel.
