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RICHARD DIGANCE  - THE CREATOR

A BAFTA Nominated performer and a Gold Award recipient from The British Academy of Composers & Songwriters. Richard is also patron of The Arts Centre in Swindon, a town built on the expansion of Brunel's Great Western Railway.

His first musical collaboration was And As Winter Faded, a joint production with David Cain of The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, producer of BBC serialisations of Tolkien's The Hobbit and War Of The Worlds. He went on to provide musical compositions for three Independent Radio Award winning documentaries Down To Earth, Can Buy Me Love and Dying For A Drink, musical collaborations with Ralph Bernard CBE, plus The BBC production Sir Rowland Hill, creator of the penny post in 1840. He also composed audiobook music for best-selling author, Bill Bryson, plus TV soundtracks and radio titles music for Capital Radio, London where he worked for five years as a presenter and producer. He qualified as a radio producer at Elstree Radio School.

'Richard Digance is brilliant' - Bill Bryson - 'Richard Digance is a National Treasure' Bob Harris, BBC Radio

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HEATHER FORD - BA(hons) PGCE

Portrait artist with a difference, Heather was awarded a BA Honours degree in Graphic Design at the London College of Printing and attained a PGCE at the Institute of Education, in 1994, teaching art and design in the UK for 15 years. She moved to Muscat  in 2010 as Head of Art at The Sultan’s School and became an active member of the Omani art scene. She now lives in Somerset.

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MIKE PAYNE - ILLUSTRATIONS FOR CHILDREN

Mike created Tatty Teddy, the world's biggest selling merchandised bear bought by Clintons. He is an established writer and artist for children, a route that began with The Cloud Crowd in conjunction with Richard Digance, for London Weekend Television. He is our fun illustrator for our books for children.

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ROSIE DIGANCE BSc PGCE - CONTENT & PERFORMANCE FOR CHILDREN

Rosie Digance gained a degree in Education at Bath Spa University and studied drama at Barton Peverel College, Southampton. She is a qualified teacher in Bath, a city greatly associated with Brunel, and  she oversees the correctness and appropriateness of our content for children. She also gained a 5-star rating at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival for her solo performance of War Of The Worms.

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MARK KEMPNER - ACTOR & NARRATOR

Mark Kempner, recently featured in the TV series filming of Lord Of The Rings and Ted Lasso. He was also nominated for best actor in "The Long Walk Home" at the Canadian International Short Film Festival. He played Sir Winston Churchill for The Royal Shakespeare Company at his Blenheim Palace birthplace. He also played the lead role of Alan Turin in the theatrical drama Breaking The Code.

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TRACEY HOLLIS

Tracey specialises in fine graphite portrait drawing along with poster and artwork design. She studied at Chichester College, Sussex and is additionally known for her album sleeve designs. She has presented her own Art Exhibitions in London and Salisbury.

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MIRANDA PENDER

Unique texture artist based in the West Country in the heart of Brunel land. An accomplished artist and after-dinner speaker

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With special thanks to Tim Bryan of The SS Great Britain Trust for his immense help and inspiration.

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