Sir Billy Connolly to be handed lifetime achievement award at the Edinburgh TV festival
August 23, 2021, 10:48 am

Sir Billy Connolly

According to the Sky News, Scottish comedian Sir Billy Connolly will be handed a lifetime achievement award at the Edinburgh TV festival, as the event kicks off in the Scottish capital.

The Sky News reported, Sir Billy will be given the gong for his contribution to the industry, and be interviewed by his wife, the performer and writer Dr Pamela Stephenson Connolly, where he will look back at his illustrious career, which includes comedy, music, TV and film.

It added that at the event, which starts today, screenwriter Jack Thorne will deliver the MacTaggart Lecture while author Neil Gaiman will be in conversation with director Douglas MacKinnon.

Thorne, who is best known for his work on productions like His Dark Materials and Enola Holmes, as well as the smash-hit play Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, will talk about the "glaring problem" of the way in which disabled people are treated in the TV and film industry.

The Bafta award-winning writer, who has cholinergic urticaria, which makes sufferers allergic to their own body heat, says he will use his spot to highlight the representation of disabled people on screen.

The MacTaggart lecture has been an important part of the festival since 1976, with the likes of journalist Jon Snow, actress and writer Michaela Coel and Alan Partridge co-creator Armando Iannucci all having given the speech in recent years.

Hollywood's in-demand man Lin-Manuel Miranda, actress Whoopi Goldberg and climate activist Greta Thunberg will all also appear at the virtual festival, while comedian London Hughes will give the Alternative MacTaggart lecture.

Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings will also appear at the festival, albeit in Spitting Image puppet form, as well as the traditional appearances by the main TV channels.

The festival will run until 26 August.

Source: skynews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.