We are delighted to announce the art & photo assessors for the 5th Edition of the creative wellbeing resource The Yellow Book!
We send our gratitude and our #NotesOfThanks to Naomi Koji Paton, Will Johnston, Siyuan Ren, Emma Filby for all their time with the project!
Will was part of the assessment team for the 1st Edition of The School Yellow Book. Siyuan has been supporting the project with assessment for a good number of projects and resources over the years. We are delighted that Naomi & Emma have chosen to join the team and lend there fantastic skills to the project. We send #NotesOfThanks to you all for taking the time to help select from the incredible entries for The Yellow Book 5th Edition.
Learn more about the assessors below:
Naomi “KP” Koji-Paton, is of Irish-Japanese heritage from London, Hackney. Her media journey began in 2006 when she immersed herself in film production while attending university for a law degree.
She had planned to become a barrister in the US but life took a different direction and she continued to work within the legal world in the UK within Intellectual Property, Crime and Housing law sectors. Alongside this, she was photographing as a hobby for more than a decade.
It was during the Covid-19 pandemic when she had her own breakthrough, thinking about her future and whether she felt her legal job provided the enjoyment, value and fulfilment she wanted. The result was leaving her ‘stable’ 9-5 London City law firm to become a successful photographer and videographer under the brand Koji Cam. Since then she’s worked with the likes of The Economist, The United Nations, Amazon Music, NHS, Birmingham City Council, Nationwide, M&S and much more. Her biggest achievement to date is having an image she’s photographed on a billboard in Leicester Square.
She absolutely loves photographing most things including cars and martial arts, being a boxer herself.
Website – Naomi Koji-Paton
Will Johnston Photography specialises in sport, portrait and press photography.
Will travels all over, working for clients such as Channel 4, England Golf, Cancer Research UK and Swim England. Working in such a variety of different environments means that every day is a unique opportunity to capture that ‘different shot’, and ensure that every client is a happy one.
Will is very happy to discuss your photography needs, no matter how big or small, so please do get in touch.
Website – Will Johnston
“My paintings are often described by others as romantic and melancholy. Flowers are the constant subject of my art, and above all, my passion lies in painting peonies the national flower of China reflecting my deep love and nostalgia for the country of my birth.
Among all the different styles of Chinese painting, I like gongbi the most its fine and elegant strokes are perfect for portraying the delicate beauty of flowers. However, the extreme delicacy and meticulousness required in the gongbi technique also makes itself a test of patience and spiritual equilibrium such qualities are now rare to see in fast-paced modern society. I take joy from this trial every time when I paint, and experience it as a self-meditation, as a quiet respite from a hectic modern life. The traditional Four Treasures of the Study used in Chinese painting brush, ink, paper and ink stone creates a tangible atmosphere of Chinese culture no matter where I am. I feel I am on a life long mission to introduce classical Chinese art and culture to the world.”
Website – Siyuan Ren
Emma Filby works as a Director and Producer within professional theatre. Her career has hosted events and productions in the UK, Canada, US and Europe.
Emma is currently the Artistic Programmer at South Mill Arts and supports the venue’s strategic vision by booking production throughout the year.
After completing her training at The Bristol Old Vic Drama School, Emma worked alongside young film makers at UCLA (Los Angeles) for six years whilst exploring projects across both North and South America. In 2011 Emma spent time in Bolivia and Argentina where she worked alongside ‘Exceptional’ developing theatre workshops for children living in some of the hardest environments.
On returning to the UK Emma completed a Masters in Shakespeare in Performance – at the Shakespeare Institute in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Emma also teaches sessions at Drama Studio London, East 15 and various other universities, and programmes around the country.
Emma previously worked as Co-Producer for Frinton Summer Theatre where she managed the day-to-day operations and planning for the summer season.
In December 2024 Emma Will be producing and directing Anton Burge’s Bette & Joan at Park Theatre London Starring Greta Scacchi and Felicity Dean.
Emma loves travel, and has written a number of travel blogs and is currently pursuing a challenge to visit every seaside pier in the UK.
Website – South Mill Arts
Enjoy the Art & Photography here:
Our #NotesOfThanks to all the assessors and to everyone involved thanks for the fantastic creative entries inspired by gratitude!
Meet the Poetry Assessors Click Below to Learn More:
Find Out About the Project Click Below to Learn More:
