Prestigious industry award for University of Cumbria student filmmaker

Megan, in her second year of the BA (Hons) Wildlife Media degree programme at University of Cumbria, is among the winners to be honoured by the Royal Television Society (RTS). 

Her nine-minute film 'On The Edge: Saving the Iberian Lynx' won the student Saving The Planet category at the RTS North East and The Borders Awards. 

Megan’s win comes 12 months after another University of Cumbria Wildlife Media student lifted the same award. Postgraduate student Peter Howarth was the winner in 2024 for his ‘Pine Marten’ film that explored the potential reintroduction of the species to the county. 

Megan’s Iberian Lynx film was made last summer, between years one and two of her Wildlife Media degree course. 

Supported by the university’s Institute of Education, Arts and Society, Megan had successfully applied to The Hadfield Trust, a grant-giving body for good causes in Cumbria. The monies enabled her to fund the extra-curricular trip to Spain to film conservation programmes and their leaders.  

Megan, who lives in Aspatria, said: “Attending the RTS award was an incredible experience - meeting industry professionals and celebrating creative talent in the region was truly inspiring. Winning an award was both unexpected and amazing, and hearing that the judges found my film visually captivating fills me with pride.  

“A big thank you to my tutors, the University of Cumbria, and the Hadfield Trust. They were supportive when I pitched this ambitious film idea and they really encouraged me to go for it. It was a great experience, and to be able to share something positive in terms of conservation and environmental change and positivity. This film is about saving a species so, hopefully, a bit of positivity goes a long way.” 

Recent Cumbria graduate Lauren O’Donnell, 22, was also at the RTS regional awards ceremony as a finalist shortlisted in the ‘Factual Short Film’ category of the student awards. 

With footage captured around her hometown of Dunblane in Scotland, Lauren’s three-minute ‘Behind The Lens’ is an account of the fieldcraft, filmmaking skills, ethical considerations and patience required by a wildlife filmmaker. 

University of Cumbria’s wildlife media programme is no stranger to seeing its students and graduates enjoying RTS success, having seen several shortlisted or winning awards in recent years. 

In 2024, not only did Peter Howarth win the regional RTS award, graduates Georgia Costin and Abbey Wilkinson were named winners of the Saving the Planet (undergraduate) category in the national RTS Student Television Awards for their 10-minute film about Cumbria’s native fell ponies. 

And in 2023, graduate Alexandros Leontiades won a regional RTS award for his film ‘Fox – Friend or Foe’ which explored views about urban foxes. 

Delighted 

Senior lecturer Laura Baxter is programme leader of the BA (Hons) Wildlife Media programme at University of Cumbria. 

Laura says: “I’m delighted that the BA Wildlife Media course team has seen another year of success.  The ‘Saving The Planet’ and ‘Factual Short Form’ award categories are perfect for our students’ environmental filmmaking.  Being shortlisted is a huge achievement and we are thrilled for both Lauren and Megan.  

“We usually nominate final-year students’ film work, so this is unusual to be an achievement earlier in Megan’s journey and demonstrates her high level creative and technical skills. Megan was also enterprising in applying for competitive funding from The Hadfield Trust ‘Creative Travel Award’ which supported her in making this project vision a reality.  So overall - what an achievement for two young women in filmmaking and may they continue this success in all future endeavours.” 

University of Cumbria was also among the sponsors of the industry spectacle that took place at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead on Saturday (15 February 2025).

The Non-Broadcast Scripted and Unscripted Award, sponsored by University of Cumbria, went to ‘Watch The Lights’ by Newcastle-based director Alex Ayre. It is a film about NORTH Wrestling and its young star, Leon Slater, which takes its viewers behind the scenes for a thrilling, funny and often touching look at what it takes to put on a professional wrestling show. 

Those in attendance included Keith Partridge, internationally renowned filmmaker and University of Cumbria Wildlife Media academic, along with institute colleagues Sarah Bonner, David Robert, Karen Jones and university Honorary Fellow Mally Chung. 

* Discover more about University of Cumbria creative and media arts courses, including Wildlife Media, at https://tinyurl.com/y43p93z9

WATCH: University of Cumbria Wildlife Media student Megan Richards accepting her Royal Television Society award

WATCH: ‘On The Edge: Saving the Iberian Lynx’ by Megan Richards 

ENDS