National finals are starting to get underway and Liverpool 2023 is drawing ever closer! Today, the BBC, UA:PBC and EBU have revealed more details about the creative team who will be responsible for the contest next year.
Some familiar names on the creative team
The team announced today include:
- Multi Camera Directors: Nikki Parsons, Richard Valentine and Ollie Bartlett
- Lead Creative Director: Dan Shipton
- Music Director: Kojo Samuel
- Set Designer: Julio Himede
- Head of Sound: Robert Edwards
- Lighting Designer: Tim Routledge
UA:PBC have also announced three members of their team:
- Oksana Skybinska
- Tetiana Semenova
- German Nenov
The shows will be produced by BBC Studios Entertainment and Music, a subsidiary production company of the BBC with a track record of delivering live entertainment shows, including Strictly Come Dancing and coverage of the Glastonbury music festival.
They all join the previously-announced senior production team as the show is developed in time for May!
What do we know about the team so far?
Nikki Parsons, Richard Valentine and Ollie Barltett all have a plethora of experience directing major events for the BBC and beyond. Nikki Parson’s resume includes Strictly Come Dancing, the BAFTA awards, the MTV Asia awards, and the recent state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Richard Valentine is a live music expert, who has previously worked on events including Concert for Ukraine, One Love Manchester and Live 8. Ollie Bartlett has recently worked on Glastonbury, Soccer Aid, and The Big Night of Musicals.
Dan Shipton is a name well-known to UK Eurovision fans, having been the creative director for both Sam Ryder’s Eurovision performance in 2022 and Freya Skye’s performance at Junior Eurovision. Outside of this, he has worked on a number of major concert tours for artists including Little Mix, Westlife and Ava Max. He will be joined by German Nenov, who has been appointed by UA:PBC and who also has a wealth of Eurovision experience behind him.
Kojo Samuel has recently worked with artists such as Stormzy, Rita Ora and Ella Henderson, as well as being the music director of the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. Set designer Julio Himede has worked on events including the American Song Contest, the Grammy Awards and the MTV EMAs.
Sound designer Robert Edwards is no stranger to the contest, having been sound supervisor for the 2018 contest in Lisbon. He has also worked on the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies for Tokyo and Beijing. Lighting designer Tim Routledge is also an expert on live music events. He has previously worked on tours with the Spice Girls and Beyonce.
Eurovision 2023 so far
After Ukraine won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, it was revealed that Ukraine will not host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. The hosting duties were then passed to the runners-up; the United Kingdom. Liverpool will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May 2023. The contest will take place at the M&S Arena, with 37 countries taking part.
To find out more about the host city, check out Roryโs video tour below.
Are you excited about Eurovision 2023? Are you happy with the team that will be working on next year’s contest? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow โThat Eurovision Siteโ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as we prepare for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: Eurovision.tv
Photo Credit: Visit Liverpool
