Thomas Stogdon did not know it at the time, but the day he walked into the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in north London would prove to be a sliding doors moment.
A graduate with a degree in film and TV from Brunel University and living in Tottenham, he had faced rejection after rejection while trying to pitch his ideas or find work in the UK film and television industry. One employer asked him, “Have you thought about taking elocution lessons?” Others told him his film ideas – which explored diversity in innovative ways - were “a bit niche”.
