Kat Sommers

Experience

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  MJ News International

  Jan 1995 - Jan 2002

  Webmaster, Press Officer

  Built and launched the first website for MJNI, the British Michael Jackson Fan Club and publisher of KING! magazine. Oh yes.

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  MTV Networks

  Nov 2003 - Aug 2004

  Editorial Intern

  Wrote regular updates for mtv.co.uk, compiled the weekly newsletter and worked in a team developing interactive ideas for MTV UK programmes. Hosted live text messaging services on MTV2 and MTV Hits.

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  BBC World Service

  Aug 2004 - Jul 2006

  Researched and produced content for the BBC news website and international radio pages, as well as encoding audio, updating the Radio Player and making programmes available as podcasts. Provided administrative and business support for a team of 30.

  • Assistant Producer

    Aug 2004 - Jul 2006

  • Team Assistant

    Aug 2004 - Jan 2005
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  Amused Moose Comedy

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2007

  Crew leader

  Ran stand-up comedy nights in London, managing budgets, talent payments and leading a crew responsible for staging shows for audiences of up to 200. As a result I retain extensive contacts in the comedy industry.

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  BBC

  Jul 2006 - Oct 2011

  Managed the development of a suite of social media products for the BBC website.Key achievements: • Worked with a technical and design team based in Manchester to deliver v1 of Buzz, the full service application of Shownar • Tweeted the project's progress @bbcbuzz • Developed a range of relevant metrics for assessing the performance of the BBC's social media activity • Conducted extensive research into and gained expert knowledge of the emerging market for social media “buzz” metrics and data • Negotiated business and technical terms for key data licensing partnerships• Commissioned digital strategists Tobias & Tobias (www.tobias.tv) to provide business analysis of the use of Twitter data on all BBC programme pages Show less Worked on early development of a “social viewing” app for top shows, and the prototyping of a new buzz tracking tool. Achievements:• BBC project manager for Shownar (www.shownar.com), which tracked links in blogs and Twitter to over 8,000 programme brands broadcast by the BBC in any 15-day window.• Wrote website copy, blog posts announcing its launch, and tweeted its development @bbcbuzz• Worked closely with BERG (www.berglondon.com), the agency building Shownar, to facilitate a complex technical build and ensure BBC requirements were met• Researched social media market for suitable data providers, discussing technical requirements with a number of them• Solely responsible for the development of three key business partnerships, with Yahoo!, Nielsen Online and Twingly, a Swedish supplier of microblog data• Negotiated terms and worked with legal team to draw up complex data licence contracts, which had so far been without precedent at the BBC Show less Producing and commissioning content for the BBC’s comedy website (bbc.co.uk/comedy).Responsibilities and achievements:• Managed and wrote daily promos of comedy content at bbc.co.uk/comedy and on the BBC homepage• set up and ran the official @bbccomedy Twitter feed to cover the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2007, tweeting what the BBC scouts saw and recommended• Developed stand-alone website showcasing online-only comedy and new talent, in a co-production between Multiplatform and Television (http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/extra)• at short notice pulled together a site covering the Edinburgh Fringe 2007 and a team to film, edit and upload a video of new comic talent every day of the festival (http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/edinburgh/)• project managed a Flash-animated platform game built by Numiko (http://www.numiko.com) to coincide with the transmission of BBC2 sitcom Hyperdrive Show less

  • Development Producer, R&D Prototyping

    Oct 2010 - Oct 2011

  • Senior Content Producer, Social Media Tools

    Sept 2009 - Oct 2010

  • Content Producer, Social Media

    Jan 2009 - Sept 2009

  • Content Producer, Comedy

    Jul 2006 - Jan 2009
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  Freelance

  Oct 2011 - Dec 2014

  Digital Producer

  - produced online exhibits for the National Theatre on Google's Cultural Institute platform (2014)- produced videos and social media content for drama and arts programmes at Sky (2013-2014)- produced social marketing campaigns for BBC Radio 5 live and Asian Network at Telegraph Hill (2013)- produced a MyShakespeare arts commission for the Royal Shakespeare Company (2012)- produced a physical installation of Map The Museum for Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton & Hove (2012)

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  Freelance (Self employed)

  Oct 2011 - Mar 2025

  Copywriter / Content Designer

  I freelance for various brilliant clients and agencies in the energy, tech and education sectors, including Google Cloud, Stripe, Energy Systems Catapult, Bulb, Busuu, Ark Schools, the School of Life, and WaterAid.

• 

  Courtauld Institute of Art

  Oct 2011 - Sept 2012

  Website Manager

  Part-time role managing the website of an art gallery and research institution.As well as looking after a budget for special projects, I am developing and updating the Institute's content strategy and looking to expand the site's marketing capabilities.

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  Blue Tutors

  Nov 2013 - Dec 2017

  Tutor in KS2 and KS3 English

  Over 200 hours teaching set texts and language skills to Year 7-13 students.

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  Freelance

  Mar 2016 - now

  Scriptwriter

  I write for radio, podcasts and TV. Recent work:* x3 episodes of Naomi Campbell's Model Behaviour, a Terribly Famous podcast series for Loftus Media/Wondery (2024)* x4 episodes of Victoria Beckham vs The Critics, a Terribly Famous podcast series for Loftus Media/Wondery (2023)* x4 28" episodes for series 3 of Charlotte & Lillian, a sitcom for BBC Radio 4 starring Miriam Margoyles and Helen Monks (2021)* x4 episodes of a new podcast from WaterAid (2021)* x4 14" episodes for series 2 of Charlotte & Lillian, a sitcom for BBC Radio 4 starring Miriam Margoyles and Helen Monks (2019)* x4 14" episodes for series 1 of Charlotte & Lillian, a sitcom for BBC Radio 4 starring Miriam Margoyles and Helen Monks (2017) Show less

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  South London Cares

  Jul 2019 - Jul 2023

  Volunteer Teacher

  Taught creative writing to members of a local community charity.

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  We Are Futures

  Jul 2024 - now

  Senior Copywriter

  Responsible for web, email, social and creative copy at a brand and social impact agency, for clients including Lidl, Sky, and McDonald’s.