Five things productions can do now to make diversity and inclusion part of their culture

Unless you were under a rock for most of 2020 (and let’s face it, some of us felt like crawling under one at points) then you’ll know that all major UK broadcasters doubled-down on their commitment to creating better diversity on and off screen, and a sector that is more inclusive and accessible to people of all backgrounds.

This time last year the murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement and the global pandemic exposed some of the most troubling divides in our society, and this prompted huge, ambitious pledges and policy changes from big business. In the TV sector diversity, inclusion and better on-screen portrayal became top of every commissioner's agenda, cross-referenced in every briefing chat as an urgent priority.

These pledges and initiatives are nothing new - I’ve worked with grass-roots talent, training and engagement based initiatives to widen access to the TV industry for almost a decade now, the problem is that, well, we still have a problem. Progress has been piecemeal. The latest data from the Creative Diversity Network Diamond reports looking at both disability and ethnicity on and off screen shows we have a long way to go.

So if it is the no-brainer, priority business-case thing to do, as well as clearly being long-overdue, why are we finding it so hard to do?

In short, the answer is that the problem is complex and not solvable in one fell swoop. There are a heap of cross-cutting economic, educational, structural and cultural reasons why people with great skills and huge potential don’t end up in TV jobs, or even being looked at by decision makers. There’s lots been said and written about this topic, but to give you a quick, practical tour around the inclusion labyrinth, here’s my top 5 ‘telly barriers’ based on conversations I’ve had in the last year with emerging and established production talent from underrepresented-groups in media.

1. “I don’t have a driving licence (yet)”. It is such a simple issue but it is a total blocker to a runner or researcher with excellent practical and editorial skills, who hasn’t been able to afford to learn to drive.

2. “I don’t know anyone to approach about work experience or starter jobs”. TV, we have to admit, is a highly networked ecosystem. One job often leads to the next… but getting a foothold can seem impossible when you don’t know who to go to and where to start. So next time an unknown CV pops into your inbox - why not take 5 minutes to look at it, thank them for sending it in, and file it somewhere you’ll find it for future opportunities.

3. “I don’t feel like I belong because I don’t drink booze.”. This seemed mad when I first heard it, but on reflection, I can see how someone who doesn’t want to buy alcohol - whether it is for religious, personal or financial reasons, may feel excluded from team bonding if they don’t join the team down the pub every Friday afternoon. 

4. “Because I am a wheelchair user I feel like I am a burden on shoots.” This comment was from a hugely talented and inspirational production coordinator who has been in the job for 15 years. This person should feel able to attend the shoots that they set up and progress in their career - it’s not happened (yet.)

5. “I feel like the only option open to me is to work in development because I care for my parent and have two young children.” An example of a hugely experienced P/D’s skills being wasted here because she can’t go for the top-flight production jobs due to her important commitments at home. 

So what can we do as an industry? Surely these structural problems are too big for us to solve alone, or any time soon? 

Yes it’s a quagmire, but we have to begin somewhere. My approach is just to take a corner of the vast jigsaw and start working on it. Because if you work in production and have any power and influence on hiring, budget and workplace culture, you can make changes and you can influence others too.

Here are my top five things that you can do now:

-Start looking for fantastic talent from harder to reach groups in your patch, regardless of if you have a role to fill. Build up a diverse talent pipeline and a book of wider contacts, beyond your tried and trusted go-to’s. Need help with this? A shameless plug but what the hec, Gritty Talent can get you started!

-Collect basic diversity data from your teams as people come on board. This doesn’t have to be endless questionnaires, but it will help you see where your gaps are (and you’ll be able to fill in your monitoring forms in a fraction of the time!)

-This might hurt a bit but do an audit of your existing workplace culture, staff base and their contracts. Are you offering flexi-hours or job shares? Are people in similar roles being paid equally? Is your office space adapted and easy to navigate for anyone with access needs? Do you offer feedback and advice to junior team members?  This audit will help you see their blockers to career progression, where unconscious bias might be creeping in during hiring, and crucially who's missing from your team.

-When you onboard team members, ask them what they need to do their best work and show up every day feeling unencumbered. For a working mother that might mean flexible and part-time hours to fit around nursery and school times. For a person in a wheelchair it means ensuring the office, entry to the building and car parking are accessible and sorted out before they arrive on a busy production, and equipping them with assisted technology if required. 

-Commit to a workplace culture where everyone is welcome and equally valued. Put this front and centre of your job posts, and really mean it. For someone from an “under-represented group” in TV be they Mulsim, LGBTQ+, neuro-diverse or from a low income family, this sends the signal that you want them to thrive, not just survive in the workplace. It will take years to refine and get right, but it starts with a commitment. I believe that the talent (and rewards) will then follow.