Richard Drew
Richard Drew is a Freelance TV Production Designer, with a huge array of projects in the industry. He specialises in scripts, drama, comedy, stand up and commercials and is a longstanding alumnus of Barking & Dagenham College.
Richard studied at BDC in the 80s and has since gone on to achieve great things! After finishing his course at BDC, Richard went onto study on a theatre design course for one year, he then attended a two-year course at Newport Film School in South Wales and during that time, made many great contacts. After education, Richard began his career at the BBC in 1988, working on TV classics such as Grange Hill and Top of the Pops. He is now a sought-after TV and film production designer, having worked on major TV shows for Netflix, the BBC and Channel 4, films, commercials and entertainment programmes.
On reflection of his time at BDC, Richard explained that studying Performing Arts at Barking Tech (as it was called back then) was his dream course and where he fell in love with the world of entertainment. The facilities and modules available were like no other college’s and he was able to take away a huge number of experiences and skills, such as making and editing films and studying movies and scripts, which has helped shape his skillset, working in industry today. It was also the diversity of his cohort that stuck with Richard – being able to learn with people from different areas, backgrounds and specialities.
Richard returned to BDC to have a look around the updated Rush Green Campus and guest lecture for current students. In attendance were students who are studying Production Arts, Art & Design, 3D Design and Creative Media, where he talked about his career and explained how BDC was where it all started for him.
Not knowing the many avenues of Performing Arts, BDC allowed Richard to explore the many job possibilities, which provided him with the steppingstone to his highly successful career.
It’s almost a cliche to say but I feel like it’s time to reconnect and to try and give a little bit back if I can. Even after 36 years in TV, I'm still incredibly passionate about my craft and the promotion and diversity of it. That passion was ignited at BDC, so I owe it everything. I've also in recent years been keen to try to encourage people of colour to work in the Art Department, it’s the one area where the industry as a whole needs to do more, in all aspects of filmmaking, but particularly in my area of expertise, the Art Department.
