epresentation matters in any industry, but it’s especially relevant to production. Sharing an aspect of your identity with someone – whether on-screen or off – instils a sense of belonging. Seeing your experiences conveyed authentically – that’s even better. The 2023 Be You festival, hosted by Soho Media Club in the heart of Soho itself, tackled these topics and more. Described as ‘a festival of media culture,’ Be You aims to ‘spark honest conversation’ with industry change-makers. This year, that roster included folks from Douglas Road Productions, the BBC, Channel 4, Deaf & Disabled People in TV, Fully Focused Productions, Screenskills and more. AGENTS OF CHANGE The jam-packed day started with Agents of Change, a fireside chat with Sir Lenny Henry and Fauzia Boakye. Sir Lenny, who’s enjoyed a long and varied
career in stand-up comedy, theatre, music, film and television, spoke freely about his experiences as a Black man in majority-white spaces. “Every set should be inclusive – not just shows where there are people of colour,” Henry stated. “Let’s open the door and see who’s out there.” A recurrent theme throughout Henry’s talk, as its title suggests, was personal agency. “If you want something to happen and you’re in charge, you can say, ‘can we have a more diverse set, please?’ and it will happen. You just need to move towards it in incremental steps. “If you’re constantly being buffeted by the winds of circumstance,” Henry continued, “by other people’s opinions, by other people’s ideas about the things you should be doing, you’re always going to be a slave to what they want rather than what you want.” The discussion also included Fauzia Boakye, an actress, creator, researcher and presenter, who detailed the challenges she’s faced in her career thus far. “I wanted to do a lot of things; I didn’t want to just stay in one lane. I don’t need to be put in one box,” she said. “Whatever you have, I’m going to take it.” Henry and Boakye became engrossed in a conversation about refusing hustle culture, calling out injustice, building community and trusting instincts. “If you know something is wrong, the last thing you want to do is be someone who sits there and doesn’t say anything,” argued Boakye. “I’m going to say it… I better say it.”
TRUE TRAILBLAZER Sir Lenny Henry appeared for a fireside chat entitled Agents of Change
IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG, THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS BE SOMEONE WHO SITS THERE AND DOESN’T SAY ANYTHING
@feedzinesocial
Powered by FlippingBook