Phil Banks

Mattia Mazzoli

Mattia is a driven independent video game developer who has been dedicatedly working on his current project, Russell’s Range, independently. In his professional experience, he has previously collaborated with Whizz productions as a productions assistant, primarily mentoring and supporting aspiring students in filming their portfolio work. Additionally, he has also worked at the Joldwynds acting course hosted by Clare Davidson and Will Thomas Freeman, in the beautiful Surrey Hills.

Mattia’s passion for digital art and programming has fuelled his creative endeavours and enabled him to execute his game development projects single-handedly. With an unwavering commitment to his craft, Mattia is pushing the boundaries of solo indie development and is keen on leveraging his expertise to aid and inspire other young creative minds to pursue their aspirations with unbridled passion.

Ben Scott

Ben Scott has worked at the international level of music performance for over a decade, recording or performing on drums with some of the UK and USA’s most prominent pop artists – notably Ed Sheeran, Tom Walker, Declan J. Donovan, Alex Winston, and Bülow. Ben is currently the musical director and drummer for pop artist St. Lundi, as well as fronting his own boundary-pushing solo show ‘The Ultimatum Experience’ where he performs at corporate events across the globe. Ben also enjoys writing and producing from his studio in South London as part of his own artist project and with an array of up-and-coming artists.

Bob Earland

Bob Earland is a musician, producer and engineer with over 20 years of experience in the music industry and recording credits including albums by Roots Manuva, Wiley, and Speech Debelle. He has also toured extensively as a session musician with bands such as Clor, and Jacknife Lee, as well as live performances of his own solo projects.

In 2013 he began working with the Radiophonic Workshop providing technical support and playing modular synthesisers and percussion for their live shows. This has included a collaborative project with Dick Mills and Stealing Sheep, to compose an alternative soundtrack for the film ‘La Planète Sauvage’, performed as part of the 2014 Brancharge film festival. A live recording of this was later released on Fire Records in 2021 and promoted with additional live performances at the Science Museum IMAX theatre and Bluedot festival the following year.

2023 sees the release of Dark Horses’ pandemic-delayed third album ‘While We Were Sleeping’, which Bob co-produced, and mixed, also contributing additional modular synth parts. It is due for release on March 17, 2023, with two limited edition coloured vinyl pressings on Little Cloud Records. Following the release, Bob has been joining the band onstage, recreating some of the studio effects and modular synth parts, at promotional shows in Brighton and London.

Lee Gold

Lee Gold is one of the most successful and exciting singer’s to come out of South Africa in a long time. As well as being an exceptionally talented singer and performer, Lee is also an accomplished piano player, arranger, and musical director and relocated to London, UK in 2013 to expand her fan base.

Lee graduated from the University of Cape Town with both a Bmus Degree, as well as Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction. While at University Lee was tutored by renowned international vocal stars, like Deborah Tanguy (FR) and Natasha Roth (DE).

Lee Gold has achieved many musical awards and achievements. As a successful studio musician, Lee’s vocals can be heard on both movie soundtracks, and commercial/advertising campaigns, for brands such as “Lux Soap”, and “Nokia Smartphones”.
Lee has participated in The New York Voices Jazz Vocal Camp in OHIO, USA. And was also chosen personally by The New York Voices to perform an opening set for them, on the finale evening concert.
Lee was also selected as the house keyboard player, backing vocalist, and backing vocal arranger, for 2 consecutive years of the prestigious “SYMPHONIC ROCKS” symphony orchestra extravaganza, performing with many top South African and International acts, to record crowds, where Lee toured nationaly as keyboard player and backing vocalist for Grammy award winning, American rock legends COLLECTIVE SOUL.

Since relocating to London UK, Lee has earned a stellar reputation for versatility across the jazz, soul and pop genre’s. Lee performs regularly at the prestigious Boisdale Restaurants of London, of which Jools Holland is the Patron of Music. Other residencies have included, The Dorchester, The Savoy and the Londoner Hotel.
Lee is regularly invited to perform at many jazz clubs and venues, in and around the UK, and by popular demand, has been invited back regularly to perform at London’s iconic “Ronnie Scott’s Bar” where she is featured as a special guest, and is always extremely well received.

Lee has toured all over the world, including Dubai, France, Mauritius and in 2018 she was invited to play at the prestigious Casino De Monte Carlo in Monaco several times.

Dave Tyler

Experienced multi-genre Freelance Bass Player with a demonstrated history of working in the music industry. Skilled in Songwriting, Music Education, Podcasting, Jazz, and Music Theory. Bass player for the band Bare Jams, as well as a director. Strong arts and design professional with a Bachelor of Arts – BA focused in Music Performance from The Academy of Contemporary Music. Recently gained a SQA Level 7 Professional Development Award in Practised-based learning for the creative and cultural industries with CLOCK Your Skills. Currently working as a Lecturer at the ACM, teaching undergraduate and post graduate modules.

Jose Manuel Cubides-Gutierrez

London based music producer, recording, mixing, and mastering engineer from Bogotá, Colombia
I’ve worked on sound design for short films, theatre, and TV adverts including Musto, XColor, and Reebok.
Currently about to receive a doctorate in which I explore the re-contextualisation of sound in electroacoustic and popular music.

Steff Fish

Steff is a vocalist, performer, songwriter and vocal coach.

With Heavy Progressive Rock band Giant Walker, she’s been featured both as a singer and songwriter by Daily Express, BBC Radio 1, Rolling Stone, Planet Rock, Metal Hammer, and as “one of the UK’s most exciting new bands” by Sunday Sport. She’s toured the UK extensively, both as a performer and a tour manager, as well as putting on numerous events across the country.

As a vocal coach, Steff is passionate about empowering singers, songwriters and performers to find their unique voice. She is an Authorised Instructor in the international network of voice professionals, Vocology In Practice, as well as a Vocal Health First Aider.

Ineza Kerschkamp

Ineza is an experienced Jazz vocalist and songwriter hailing from Rwanda and Belgium. Since graduating from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Ineza has become an in demand vocalist regularly performing in London’s iconic Jazz venues such as Ronnie’s Scott’s Jazz Club, Boulevard Soho, Piano Bar etc. A versatile singer, Ineza is a member of the critically acclaimed Jazz choir ‘The London Vocal Project’, she toured with award winning singer songwriter Tom Odell, and starred as ‘Valaida’ (alternate) in the London immersive experience ‘The Greatest Night of The Jazz Age’.

An accomplished songwriter Ineza has released 2 EP’s, (‘Where are you from’ and ‘Who Am I’) her original music has received praise from Bandcamp, BBC Introducing, Women In Jazz Media, Fresh On The Ned and Jazz in Europe. in 2023 Ineza’s commissioned choral composition ‘Home’ was performed by 1800 children at The Royal Albert Hall.

Bwinji Makatalilo

My name is Bwinji Shamutete.

I was born and raised in Zambia where I completed my GCSEs. I decided I wanted to complete my tertiary education in the Uk. This is due to having a passion for Video games growing up and I was intrigued by what went into their development, especially in the artist side of it.

Sadly there are no games companies in Zambia, so I came to the Uk where I studies Games Art and Design and completed with a BA Honors.

My skill sets include 3D modelling and sculpting, animation, 2D traditional as well as 2D digital art and I specialise in 3D character art.

Arran McSporran

Arran has been a professional electric bass player and teacher since finishing his studies at ACM in 2007. He has toured nationally and internationally, playing in over 30 countries across 3 continents including many large international festivals. Known for his innovative plucking and legato technique on fretless 6-string bass, Arran has contributed educational articles to popular bass website bassplayersunited.com, has been interviewed for the UK’s Bass Guitar Magazine and bassmusicianmagazine.com and has taken lessons with Jeff Berlin.

A very versatile player, Arran has played in every genre from acoustic songwriters to jazz to metal and also in orchestras for musical theatre. Primarily touring in the metal scene, Arran has supported many of the biggest names in death and black metal with the bands Virvum and De Profundis and has also toured supporting Steve Vai with the Nicolas Meier World group.

Arran has played on over 30 releases, with artists that he has worked with live and on record including Virvum, Vipassi, Utopia, De Profundis, Seven7 (with Nicolas Meier), Demonstealer, Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy), Justin Stanton (Snarky Puppy), Scarab and many more. He has recorded on tracks with members of Obscura, Fear factory, Ne Obliviscaris, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Leprous, Cynic, Six Feet Under, Shining (Nor), Nile, Necrophagist, Nevermore, Allegaeon, Inferi…

Arran is endorsed by Rotosound Strings and Carillion Basses and is one of the few bass players using a fretless bass in metal. He has won several ‘bassist of the year’ awards including being voted one of the top bassists of 2014 in a Zero Tolerance Magazine poll.

Mike Nichols

Like many bass players Mike took up the bass because someone had to play it and no one else wanted to. Fortunately he loved it. He studied jazz and studio music at Leeds College of Music, followed by the postgraduate course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After several years of learning his craft in covers bands and on cruise ships Mike established himself as a freelance player in London, working with various artists and shows. Mike has been involved in education throughout his career and has taught and written content for many of the major colleges and exam boards.

Jamie West-Oram

Leeds College of Music 1973 – 1976. Moved to London in 1976. Between then and now many sessions and tours plus some freelance teaching. Formed The Fixx in 1980. The Fixx have recorded 14 studio albums including gold and platinum albums and singles. Alongside worked with many top producers and artists (see above).