Beryl Richards elected Directors UK Chair

Following the announcement that Charles Sturridge has stepped down as Chair of Directors UK, we would like to welcome our newly elected Chair, Beryl Richards.

Beryl has been a Vice Chair of Directors UK since 2013 and helped set up and then chair the Women Directors’ Working Group that produced the report Who's Calling the Shots?

She is a director of television drama, comedy and short films and has won three BAFTAs, an RTS Award, a British Comedy Award, the Prix Jeunesse, and two International EMMY nominations for her directing. She has also helped develop and create many popular UK series. Her recent credits include Wizards vs Aliens, Recession, Leonardo and Wild at Heart, and past credits include My Life as a Popat, Girls in Love, Linda Green, My Parents are Aliens and Spitting Image. Beryl regularly makes short films for the cinema, which have been shown in competition in over 60 international festivals. Her recent shorts Perfect World and Examination won a Special Jury Prize and a Gold Remi award at Houston Worldfest. She also works part time for the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva, executive producing a worldwide co-production of children’s short films.

“Charles is leaving the organisation in fantastic shape and I am excited to be taking up the challenge of leading Directors UK on the next stage of our journey. I joined the Board in 2011 and have been heavily involved in the women directors’ campaign which has shown me just how much it is possible to achieve when directors - and industry - work together. I am now looking forward to working with the Board on a new set of issues and shaping how we campaign and change things for the better. Looking to the future of our industry I want to make sure the directors creative voice is heard and respected” - Beryl Richards