Please note: this profile is now part of an archived conference and information may be outdated.
Melissa Hardinge
BBC Children's
Senior Commissioning Editor, 6 to 16s, Independents
After qualifying as a solicitor, Melissa Hardinge joined the BBC as a Trainee Assistant Producer in Presentation, working with Andi Peters and Edd the Duck! She went on to produce the pop music show ‘The O Zone’, before moving to the BBC Children’s Department as an Assistant Producer. She left the BBC to produce ‘The Big Breakfast’ at Channel Four, followed by a variety of music entertainment shows for LWT. She rejoined the BBC’s Children’s Department, producing many key titles such as ‘Record Breakers’, ‘Live and Kicking’, ‘Top of the Pops Saturday’ and ‘Blue Peter’.
She is now the Senior Commissioning Editor for 6 to 16s, heading up the Indie Exec team at CBBC Channel, and looks after a variety of CBBC’s leading comedy and entertainment brands such as ‘Deadly 60’, ‘Almost Never’, ‘Horrible Histories’, and ‘Got What It Takes?’.
Melissa's Sessions
Joe the Doodle Boy
Joe the Doodle Boy, 11, has a unique art style which has gained thousands of fans on social media. He thinks there’s no such thing as being bad at art, and wants us all to get creative.
Gabby Tan
From eco-anxiety to mental health, what are young people talking about that the media isn’t? With her experience in youth engagement across a number of international organisations, Gabby shares how to join the conversation in a positive way.
Ayo Norman-Williams
Student, artist and game designer Ayo Norman-Williams talks about the importance of games in generating communities and compelling new stories and the drive of young people to create for themselves.
Tilly Lockey
15 year old bionic arm model, TV presenter and social media influencer, Tilly Lockey, advocates for a less judgmental world by celebrating our differences rather than trying to look like everyone else.
Selorm Adonu & Marcus Austin
Selorm Adonu and Marcus Austin are 18 year old film makers from London with their own production company and an ambition to become influential black creatives and tell stories for the under-represented.
Keedron Bryant
American Singer Keedron Byrant, whose song ‘I Just Wanna Live’ went viral last year, following the death of George Floyd, talks about how to be an authentic voice in mainstream media, in a world which demands change.
Salma Mahamud
Former BBC Young Reporter winner and footballing star, Salma Mahamud, tells us about her experience as a muslim female footballer and why representation matters.
Mateo Salvatto
Young tech entrepreneur Mateo Salvatto talks about how media can play a greater role in creating a more diverse and inclusive world for children.
Amoy Antunet
10 year old neuro-scientist and social media star Amoy Antunet talks about the power content can play in teaching younger generations.
Omari the Vegan Chef
Omari McQueen, the 13 year old vegan chef, is already a published author and has his own TV show. He wants us to “think vegan” in all aspects of the creative and production process.
