Stuart Wood
Award-winning physical special effects company Artem SFX has announced the appointment of Toby Stewart (pictured left) as managing director.
Stewart joined Artem in 2006 as a physical and pyrotechnic technician, and has worked on and supervised dozens of commercials, films and TV shows, notably Bodyguard (BBC 1) which won the TV BAFTA Must-See Moment 2019 for the explosion he masterminded.
Stewart is a fireworks and event pyrotechnics specialist, and worked as an explosive safety scientist for several years. He was appointed to Artem’s Board of Directors in 2018.
Chairman Mike Kelt commented: “I am confident that Toby and I will work well together as the baton passes to the next generation. Artem has been running for over three decades in a landscape that has seen physical SFX change enormously. I believe Toby is the right person to help realise the company’s vision for the future.”
One of Toby’s first projects will be to set up a new Artem workshop in Manchester, which has a thriving media industry. This is in addition to Artem’s London HQ, and its Glasgow workshop run by business development officer, Joanne McLeod.
Stewart commented: “Artem is a fantastic business employing a wide range of very talented people. I look forward to building on our 30-year history. We have an opportunity to expand the business, set up a facility in Manchester, to develop our existing successful products and to bring new products to market.”
Pictured top: the ‘Octobus’ created by Artem for the 2012 London Olympic opening ceremony