Candour Productions Restructures Management Team

Candour Productions has restructured its management team in the wake of its first major series commission from BBC Two, with Julie Heselgrave named managing director.

Heselgrave, formerly head of production, will be responsible for Candour’s day-to-day operations, monitoring and evaluating its progress and exploring new creative and commercial opportunities. She joined Candour in 2019.

Additionally, Hannah Demidowicz, a specialist in the funding of factual projects, has been appointed as Candour’s first director of development. She has served in a consultancy capacity for the past year. Demidowicz will spearhead Candour’s development strategy and expand its commissioner relationship in the U.K. and internationally.

Demidowicz previously worked as a commissioner at National Geographic Channel and BBC Global Channels and as a commissioning editor at TCB Media Rights.

The restructure follows Candour’s first major commission from BBC Two and BBC Nations for Yorkshire Born. The series follows the work of midwives in Bradford who specialize in home births, providing exclusive access to the team at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Anna Hall, founder, director and executive producer of Candour Productions, said, “We’ve come out of the shadow of the pandemic stronger than ever and with a host of really exciting commissions this year, and this change in management structure is a reflection of our growth and our business strategy going forward. Candour’s DNA is to make films with courage, truth and integrity both off-screen and on-screen, and I am so excited that as a female-led indie we now have a strong female senior management team that can help me take Candour to the next level. The commitment, energy and vision of Julie and Hannah, both of whom are the best in their fields, will help us to achieve that.”