The Hard Stop panelists
Ulrike Kubatta (Chair)
Ulrike is an award winning documentary film producer/director, an Associate Professor in Film at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ and the director of The DocHub@Æß²ÊÖ±²¥.
Her films, which take an innovative approach to the documentary genre and investigate ideas of heroism, identity and personal transformation, have been screened nationally and internationally at film festivals, museums and independent cinemas.
George Amponsah
George is a critically-acclaimed director who has made numerous documentaries, including features such as The Fighting Spirit and The Importance of Being Elegant.
While George works on developing new feature films, he continues to work as a tutor with young people, using digital video as a tool with which to express views from outside the mainstream.
Kurtis Henville
Kurtis grew up on Broadwater Farm Estate and is a leading cast member and childhood friend of Mark Duggan. His life and mindset changed after the release of The Hard Stop. He began doing youth work and mentoring teenagers in the UK as well as creating workshops to engage and get young people thinking.
In addition Kurtis is collaborating with agencies to create change and developing a platform where youth can engage in acting/filming environments to help change their mindsets and create achievable goals.
Jim Holyoak
Jim is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the PCDA at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥. He has served with the Leicestershire Police for nearly 35 years, moving through the ranks from Sergeant to Chief Inspector and Detective Superintendent.
He became the team leader for a Home Office pilot, developing Neighbourhood Policing community engagement and joint agency problem solving. As Counter Terrorism Security Coordinator, he developed a multi-stakeholder protective security plan for the Team GB training camp and Loughborough University in 2012.
Marcus Knox Hooke
Marcus is known for his work on BBC 1’s Lawful Killing documentary and is also a leading cast member of The Hard Stop. He was a close childhood friend of Mark Duggan and hopes that The Hard Stop will sharpen community knowledge on the interrelationship between the police and youth violence on both sides of the Atlantic.
Lisa Palmer
Dr Lisa Palmer is the Deputy Director Of the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, Leicester. She was the former Course Director for the first Black Studies undergraduate programme and Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Birmingham City University.
Lisa is a qualified librarian and previously worked for Birmingham Libraries and Archive Services for many years. She has a keen interest in working with local archive collections, specifically, the Vanley Burke Archive held at the Library of Birmingham.
Dionne Walker
Over the last 18 years, Dionne Walker has been curating and producing debate series and independent film projects including projects OnePeople: The Celebration and The Hard Stop. In the past, Dionne worked as one of London location coordinators and facilitated major blockbuster films such as Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, A Kind Hush, Mummy Returns and V for Vendetta.
Dionne was instrumental in researching and developing The Hard Stop as a hybrid film that combined observational material with constructed reality sequences and news archives. She also tutors students at University of the Arts London.