Former chairman of the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) and Fellow of the Royal Television Society (RTS), Richard Price MBE, has become a patron of Hft.
Richard was the founder of Richard Price Television Associates in 1968, trading as RPTA until 1980, when it evolved into the Primetime Group which was to become the largest independent television distributor in the UK.Richard returned to RPTA Ltd when the Primetime Group was sold to Southern Star (Australia) in 1998.
He has enjoyed an illustrious media career producing many award winning films including Nicholas Nickleby (1983 EMMY), Great Expectations (4 EMMY nominations 1991) and Oklahoma (EMMY 2000).
RPTA Ltd is involved in the ABBA hit musical Mamma Mia! (both stage and film productions), and with The Performance Company, which specialises in stage-to-screen productions such as Oklahoma!, Merchant of Venice, Dickens, Kiss Me Kate and King Lear.
Richard is chairman of the Performance Company and was chairman of Watermill Theatre, Newbury, for six years during the successful £3 million appeal when six productions transferred to the West End and one to Broadway.
He is a former chairman of Hft and has a long association with the charity which works with over 1,000 people with learning disabilities across the UK and with over 4,000 family carers through its Family Carer Support Service.
“My greatest enthusiasm of the past few years has been helping the world of adult learning disability through Hft”, said Richard.“I first became involved with the charity through my daughter who has been supported by Hft since 1990. When Hft asked me to become a patron I was very pleased to accept.”
Hft’s Royal patron is HRH, The Princess Royal.
Richard joins other current patrons of Hft – Sir Stuart Hampson, Floella Benjamin OBE, Martin Clunes, Ronnie Corbett OBE, Dame Judi Dench, Sir David Frost, Maureen Lipman OBE, Griff Rhys Jones, The Lord Rix CBE DL, Dr Oliver Russell and Dr Philippa Russell CBE.
“We are honoured to have Richard join our illustrious body of patrons”, said chief executive of Hft, Brian Perowne.
“He has been actively involved with Hft for many years and his influence and experience are invaluable to the charity.”
19 January 2010
