John Bridcut is an award-winning film maker, with a string of varied documentaries to his name, ranging from politics to contemporary history to the arts.
He is currently working on a feature-length documentary for the centenary of Benjamin Britten, to be shown on BBC Four later this year.
His most recent film is Colin Davis In His Own Words, a tribute to the British conductor who died in April at the age of 85.
His Britten film will be the sixth composer portrait he has produced for the BBC, after studies of Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Delius, Parry – and his first Britten film, Britten's Children.
Rostropovich: the Genius of the Cello won the Vaclav Havel Foundation Award at the 2011 Golden Prague Television Festival, and a nomination for Best Arts Documentary in the 2012 Grierson Awards.
Much of his recent work has been with his own company, Crux Productions, but he also works as a freelance director and producer for other production companies. He has also published two books on Benjamin Britten, and lectures on music, broadcasting and current affairs. Next November, he will be curating "Illuminating Britten", a weekend of special events at the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
NEWS
Britten book for the centenary
Rostropovich film nominated for a Grierson
Parry film now available on DVD
Tribute to Sir Colin Davis
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Colin Davis In His Own Words, John Bridcut's new portrait of the greatest British conductor of his generation, reveals a reluctant maestro. In a major interview filmed shortly before his final illness last year, Sir Colin Davis spoke at length about his life, his beliefs and his musical passions.
Prince Charles's Jubilee Tribute out on DVD
The Prince of Wales's Jubilee Tribute to The Queen is now available on DVD. It was watched by more than 10 million viewers on BBC One when shown in June 2012, and was widely reported in the press because of the previously unseen pictures from The Queen's private cine film collection and photograph albums. The DVD is now available from this website, as well as from retailers and online shops.
Author of Impartiality Report for BBC Trust
In 2007, the newly-constituted BBC Trust published a report on 'safeguarding impartiality in the 21st century'. Written by John Bridcut with the help of a steering group from inside and outside the BBC, it was entitled From Seesaw to Wagon Wheel. Its main contentions were:
- impartiality should reflect all shades of opinion, rather than merely diametrically-opposing views
- impartiality should apply across every part of the BBC's output, not just news and current affairs
- impartiality will not necessarily be found on the centre ground
- impartiality often presents opportunities as well as challenges.