Our Charitable Aim is, for the public benefit, to act as a community media and youth arts' resource for young people from the age of 11 years old onwards (& adults) from disadvantaged communities, by providing advice and assistance and organising programmes of physical, educational and other activities

Meet the Team

BARONESS REINA VAN PALLANDT

PATRON

Practised for many years in London as an international commercial lawyer in the City of London whilst also Solicitor Trustee of The Netherlands Benevolent Association and Legal Adviser of the Netherlands Embassy in the UK as well as Commercial Director of the London Festival Orchestra. Returned to The Netherlands and completed LLM at Amsterdam University in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Currently working as a senior disputes lawyer in London and The Hague.

Trevor Blackman

FOUNDER & CEO

National Youth Strategy winner, Clore Leadership Fellow and British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur, Trevor Blackman, has been different since the day he was born. At the age of 14 this blue head, then silver head, then blonde head and now bald head, marched into BBC Leicester and demanded a job. They gave him one, not because of his wacky hair, but because a producer looked at him and saw he had the passion.

Since then, Trevor has proven he can do anything and everything, even with words of discouragement. One of the most magnificent being the take over of the iconic National Gallery and Trafalgar square, (which proves that APE Media started flash mobs), as part of the Festival of Youth Arts.

Trevor has successfully been a producer, presenter, scriptwriter, actor, director, manager, mentor, entrepreneur and he’s still looking young.

Richard Brooke

FOUNDER

Currently a Senior Network Director working on BBC’s public service television channels, such as BBC1 and BBC2. Richard has now worked at the BBC for 16 years, during which he has worked in Production on Crimewatch and Watchdog, in BBC Local Radio and the main BBC Newsroom, on BBC World News television, before moving to his current role.

He is also a founder member of the precursor to APE, namely Apple Pie Productions along with Trevor Blackman.

Sam Brown

APE MEDIA TRUSTEE

PR CREATIVE DIRECTOR / CAMPAIGN LEAD

As a PR creative director and campaign director, Sam Brown has worked with some of the biggest brands and cultural institutions in the world and has won multiple awards for her work in youth marketing. From London Fashion Week and Glastonbury Festival, through to youth homelessness and knife crime, Sam understands how to get people moving and change their behaviour. Her work as a mentor has also helped dozens of young people into jobs in media and creative industries.

Robin Winterton

REGIONAL YOUTH PROJECT MANAGER

Robin has been working with young people, including vulnerable groups, for over twenty years. Recent projects include directing a series of six short films that he then developed into an Anti-Knife Crime project that toured the Midlands. He also has just completed a tour of education theatre promoting literacy.

Carol Berry

MEDIA & RADIO PRODUCTION TUTOR

Freelance radio producer at BBC Radio 1 & BBC Radio 1Xtra, and production tutor at Ape Media.

Melissa Caprini

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Born in Italy and raised in East London, Mel is a polyglot fluent in French, Italian, and Spanish.

She is a tireless advocate for inclusivity and understanding in civil society. This passion resulted in the co-founding of the Speaker Box Street Party charity organisation, a champion of diversity, children’s rights, as well as LGBTQ+ and anti-racism/discrimination issues.

At APE Media, Mel is a Project Coordinator hoping to expand the organisation’s impact and establish more creative opportunities for young people.