On-Screen, Off-Screen and Leadership
Policy-UK Forum: Morning, Wednesday, 25th May 2016, London

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"I have very strong views on TV. There's no diversity, there's no choice. Things are decided by committee"

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This event provides an opportunity to discuss the practical solutions to improve the representation of minorities within the television sector.

DELIVERING KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

Dan Brooke, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, & Executive Lead for Diversity, Channel 4
Amanda Ariss, Executive Director, Creative Diversity Network 

Further speakers include Simon Albury, Chair, Campaign for Broadcasting Equality; Hamida Ali, Equalities Officer, Equity; Minnie Crowe, Chief Operations Officer, TriForce Creative Network; Lord Holmes, Disability Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission; Kate Kinninmont, Chief Executive, Women in Film and Television UK; Nik Powell, Director, National Film and Television School and a representative, Directors UK.

CONTENT

Considerations of race, religion, disability and class will take place in the context of Channel 4's 360 Diversity Charter and the Directors UK report: Adjusting the Colour Balance: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Directors in UK Television Production, as well as accusations of misogyny because female presenters sit on the right and concerns raised regarding representations of class on-screen.

Delegates will examine diversity in on-screen talent, the notion of 'risk' in casting as well as the potential implications of active and passive intervention (e.g. quotas, sanctioned positive discrimination and transparent benchmarking) by regulators, broadcasters or Government.

Sessions will also consider ways to deliver diversity behind the camera, how to define career paths and counter the real or perceived inherent bias against those from financially or socially disadvantaged backgrounds as well as option to improve 'diversity of thought'.

Discussions will also focus on the practical ways to improve diversity within senior management, how to accelerate careers the implications of the 'old boys club' and how to ensure equality of opportunity for all. 

KEY THEMES

• Talent, content and the challenge of 'mainstream' - how to improve representation, casting challenges, notion of minority leads being a risk and the impact of multi-channel, multi-platform and how to avoid ghettoization of content;
• Writers, Directors and delivering 'Diversity of Thought' - options to improve the career path into the media industry and ways to enable new writers and directors to develop creatively (and not just to write to get commissioned); and  
• Diversity in Management and the Boardroom - next steps to getting voices from minority groups into senior, strategic and decision-making roles within broadcasters, independent productions and the sector more widely.

Further information and an up to date agenda can be found online here.

NETWORKING AND ATTENDEES 

Places have already been reserved for representatives from All3Media; BBC Trust; betty; Channel 5; Directors UK; Diva Mag; Fearless Futures; Hartswood Films; IMG Media; ITN; ITV; Kudos; Mammoth Screen; Ofcom; Optomen Television; Resource Productions; Ricochet; Sargent-Disc; Sundog Pictures; Tigress Productions; University of Bedfordshire; University of East London; Wall to Wall and Zodiak Media.

If you are interested sponsoring, exhibiting or promoting your organisation at our event then please get in touch via sponsorship@policy-uk.com or on 0845 647 9000. We have packages available for all budgets and are happy to negotiate accordingly.

Information about Policy-UK can be found here along with the other events we are currently running. Should you have any queries, please get in touch and we will be happy to assist you.