Sir Paul Smith becomes Patron of EM Media read article

Sir Paul Smith becomes Patron of EM Media

Posted: 18.08.2010 03:29 |

Readed: 253

Sir Paul Smith, one of the UK’s biggest names in fashion and popular culture, is announced as the first patron of EM Media.

EM Media, based in Sir Paul’s home town of Nottingham, was set up in 2002 with a vision to make the East Midlands the most creative and progressive filmmaking and digital content producing region in the UK.

The agency supports, develops and invests in creative talent from the East Midlands and since 2002 has made 600 investments totalling £11m in the film and digital content sector. This £11m includes the ground-breaking EMMI (East Midlands Media Investments) Fund which saw EM Media investing £6m of European Regional Development Fund finance (ERDF), generating a total estimated economic benefit of over £70m to the East Midlands. EM Media has had considerable success, making its name through investments in a host of award-winning British films. The agency’s portfolio includes Shane Meadows’ BAFTA winner This Is England, actress Samantha Morton’s directorial debut The Unloved and Anton Corbijn’s award-winning Control, the acclaimed biopic of Joy Division’s troubled front man Ian Curtis.

Sir Paul is an avid film fan and collaborated with original Factory Records graphic designer Peter Saville to produce the official limited edition t-shirts for Control which were sold in his stores across the world. As the only UK investor in the Nottingham-shot Control EM Media was fortunate to establish a relationship with Paul Smith and co-hosted a gala screening of the film in Nottingham; signaling the start of an exciting partnership.

Sir Paul Smith’s astonishing career began in 1970 when he opened his first shop in Nottingham. Within 20 years Paul Smith had established himself as the pre-eminent British designer with an ability to anticipate and spark off trends in fashion and wider popular culture. Paul Smith is now a global brand with shops in London, Nottingham, Paris, Milan, New York, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea, Kuwait and the U.A.E. Sir Paul has remained fiercely loyal to his Nottingham roots and today still retains his company’s warehouse and design operations in the city.

Debbie Williams, Chief Executive, EM Media comments, “I am absolutely thrilled that Sir Paul Smith has agreed to be our patron. He shares with EM Media a passion for film, coupled with a strong commitment to Nottingham and the East Midlands. These qualities, together with his focus on talent and his entrepreneurial approach, make him the ideal ambassador for EM Media and our work in championing the region’s creative talent. The unmistakable Englishness of Sir Paul’s designs is a sensibility echoed across EM Media’s diverse investment portfolio; films by new talent telling stories about British lives and experiences in new and innovative ways. We are delighted to formalise this relationship and look forward to future collaborations.”

Sir Paul Smith comments, “I was very flattered to be asked to be Patron for EM Media. I worked with them on a project connected to the highly successful film Control. They are very professional, enthusiastic and great at nurturing new talent, a lot of which comes from the East Midlands, which of course is especially close to my heart as I was born in Nottingham and still have my company headquarters there.”

Sir Paul Smith’s patronage of EM Media comes at a significant time for the agency. Against the backdrop of a challenging economic climate and following the success of the agency’s unprecedented EMMI (East Midlands Media Investments) Fund, EM Media will continue to invest in film and digital content with new investment finance recently secured through the East Midlands Development Agency, coupled with Lottery Finance through the UK Film Council and private finance.

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