being successful.” She detailed an experience with a neurodivergent candidate and how she mentored them in the hiring process. “You’re not testing their strengths to the best of their ability,” she concluded. Emma Hindley echoed the impact of mentoring – not just her own staff, but freelancers as well. “Most staff are freelance… It’s about keeping in touch with people, trying to recommend people.” All three women share a background in commissioning – meaning they share the frustration when seemingly diverse projects are not backed by diverse creators. “I’m not so interested in an idea that’s diverse when the senior members of the team are not from that community,” explained Hindley. Ramsay was a little more matter-of-fact: “If somebody is pitching a story to me, they know to come with a diverse range of contributors or else I won’t even entertain it,” she stated. “It’s not ‘diversity is a dirty word,’ it’s ‘diversity: that’s your solution.’” ABILITY IN DISABILITY Diversity takes many forms – including gender, race, class, sexual orientation – however the deaf, disabled and neurodivergent (DDN) community can often be overlooked. James Rogan (Rogan Productions) captured this sentiment in Seeing Ability in Disability: “Diversity of perspective is the starting point for all storytelling. We’re very keen to work particularly with people who have been marginalised by society,” he said. Bryony Arnold, co-director at Deaf & Disabled People in TV (DDPTV) and a long-time wheelchair user, illustrated just how large the representational
ALL THESE ORGANISATIONS SAY ‘DIVERSITY’ AND ‘WE WANT SOMEBODY DIFFERENT,’ YET YOU’RE DOING THE SAME INTERVIEW PROCESS
WONDER WOMEN Henry and Boakye set the tone for the rest of the festival and were followed by a panel on authentic, inclusive representation. Angela Ferreira (Douglas Road Productions), Emma Hindley (BBC Storyville) and Debbie Ramsay (then Channel 4) – all women from distinct production backgrounds – discussed how far the industry’s come and how far it has to go. One of the main issues lies in asymmetry, also known as the ‘stuck middle.’ “We have a lot of people who are very talented, very able and experienced, and they can’t move up,” explained Ferreira. “I think there is a place for entry-level schemes, but it is not the be-all and end-all of our industry… Once you get in, is that the end of your career? It shouldn’t be.” Ramsay emphasised the recruitment process as an understated barrier: “All these organisations
say ‘diversity’ and ‘we want somebody different,’ yet you’re doing the same
interview process and application you’ve always done, and then wonder why you don’t have a diverse candidate
OUT WITH A BANG The afterparty was a festival highlight and underlined its credentials as a celebration of individuality and intersectionality
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