20th July 2010

PANDA Spotlight On Working Internationally

in partnership with Brewery Arts Centre

Date: Thursday 2nd September 2010, 2.00 - 5.00pm

Venue: Brewery Arts Centre, 122a Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4HE (find it)

Cost: Free.

Finding, planning and funding work and tours abroad.

Performing Arts Network and Development Agency (PANDA) have teamed up with our regional partner Brewery Arts Centre to deliver this free panel event, open to anyone working in the performing arts in the North West who wants to find out more about taking their practice outside of the UK.

Brewery Arts Centre is a hub of creativity in the small South Lakes town of Kendal, known nationally as a centre for world-class theatre, music, art and events. The venue has a reputation for quality international work, hosting events such as the Kendal Mountain Festival, the Women's Art International Festival and Gateway International Roots Music Festival.

Join us on Thursday 2nd September 2010 as our panel of guest speakers explain how you can find work abroad, run through the practicalities of organising an international visit or tour, and provide advice for maximising the opportunities generated by taking your performing arts work to other countries.

Richard Foster, CEO of Brewery Arts Centre, will welcome participants to the venue and introduce our panel of guest speakers:

• Edward Taylor is a founder company member of Whalley Range All Stars, which creates largely outdoor events using a combination of performance with visual art techniques. The company has toured small scale work extensively throughout Great Britain and abroad to Europe, Russia, Brazil, Canada, USA, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore.
• Carole McFadden is the British Council Drama and Dance Advisor for the Near East, North Africa, China and East Asia. The role involves identifying companies for showcasing UK creative expertise internationally and collaborative opportunities between artists in the live art, drama and dance art forms.
• Maggie Clarke is the Director of Xtrax, which delivers performing arts showcases and events that attract delegates from across the UK and worldwide. Xtrax and Kendal Arts International are presenting Mintfest international festival of street theatre in Kendal over the weekend of 2nd – 5th September 2010, opening right after this event!

The panel discussion will be followed by an informal facilitated networking session from 4.00pm till 5.00pm, led by Anne-Marie Crowther, Director of PANDA. This is your chance to introduce yourself to the guest speakers, chat with your fellow performing arts practitioners and make those all important connections.

If you're staying on in the Lakes afterwards you can experience some quality international work from French company Les Commandos Percu, who will presenting their pyrotechnic and percussion extravaganza, Bombs Per Minute, as part of MintFest. Book your place on the free bus to Westmorland County Showground, departing from the K Village shopping centre in Kendal at 8.00pm, by emailing mail@lakesalive.org. Tickets are £2 at the gate.

Book your place:

To book your free place at Spotlight On Working Internationally contact Rachel Morton on 0161 274 0626 or email rachel@panda-arts.org.uk.

12th July 2010

£300k bursary scheme to help TV professionals develop multiplatform skills

Skillset's TV Freelance Fund will grant £300,000 worth of multiplatform training bursaries to TV professionals over the next year.

The scheme will give professionals from across the industry the opportunity to gain skills in one of the key growth areas in television production. Skillset's research has found that the ability of individuals to produce quality content for multiple platforms is one of the biggest skills gaps in the Creative Media Industries.

Bursaries of up to £800 for freelancers and £500 for company employees are currently available for more than 30 multiplatform courses, with more courses being added all of the time.

This is the second year that Skillset's TV Skills Council, which comprises ten senior figures from within the television industry, has identified multiplatform as a priority training area.

Peter Dale, TV Skills Council Chair and founder of independent production company, Rare Day, said: "Multiplatform productions are becoming more and more important to our industry, and so too is the need for people within our industry to possess the relevant skills. We hope that this scheme will help our TV professionals stay ahead of the curve as our industry travels in this exciting new direction."

Jo Taylor, Head of Learning & 4talent and member of the TV Skills Council, said: "Multiplatform ideas and content are now at the heart of every discussion with our independent production partners here at Channel 4. With multiplatform programming becoming ubiquitous, we believe it is key for freelancers wanting to take their career forward in this industry that they possess and develop these skills."

Skillset's chief executive, Dinah Caine, said: "While the TV industry has faced some serious challenges in recent years, the growth in multiplatform programming has been a genuine cause for optimism. We hope this scheme will help to facilitate this growth as more of our professionals gain the skills they need to work on multiplatform productions."

The TVFF is made up of voluntary contributions from the BBC, Channel 4, Five, the Indie Training Fund (via contributions from member companies), Sky and other cable and satellite companies, and is designed to invest in training for the entire television workforce. The TVFF is committed to increasing the diversity of the television workforce, and assisting the development of TV professionals across the entire UK, not just in the traditional centres of production.

To apply for a Multiplatform Bursary, or for more information, www.skillset.org/multiplatformbursaries.

7th July 2010

Noel Clarke urges Creative Media hopefuls to Pick the Tick

Multi-talented British film star Noel Clarke has become the face of Skillset's campaign urging Creative Media hopefuls and employers to "Pick the Tick".

The actor, writer and director Clarke, who made his name with the hit movies Kidulthood, Adulthood and the recent 4.3.2.1, has joined forces with veteran director Steve Barron (Merlin, Coneheads, Billie Jean) and acclaimed cinematographer, Mike Eley (Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang). They have produced a promotional film about the Skillset Tick, which is a kite mark of quality for providers of further and higher education in creative media disciplines.

Skillset, which is the Sector Skills Council for the Creative Media Industries, has awarded the Tick to those courses and institutions that have passed its rigorous industry-led accreditation process.

Ticked courses and institutions have been identified as centres of excellence in creative media disciplines that provide the most up-to-date, industry relevant training available.

Noel Clarke is a passionate advocate of providing industry-appropriate training for young people trying to break into the Creative Media Industries. As a spokesperson for the Skillset Tick, Noel is urging students, parents and employers in the film to "Pick the Tick".

He says: "Working in this industry is not all glitz and glamour, but that's beside the point. Even if it was, it's still work, and people have to put in the work to succeed. I think that young people need to realise that there are many jobs that need doing, and by picking the Tick, they can learn more about these."

When Steve Barron entered the industry, there was no such programme of industry-backed training and accreditation, making the journey a far more haphazard one.

He says: "When I started in the film industry, there was no real training, you only learned what you asked, you were never taught anything and I think this is real progress to know there's a stamp that you can rely on."

Skillset's Film and Media Academies from across the UK are the first institutions to be awarded the Tick. There are also 28 Ticked courses on offer across the UK.

The Tick is also a valuable tool for the industry, as it provides a simple guide for employers looking for work-ready graduates seeking to enter the creative media workforce.

Skillset's deputy chair, and chief executive of Icon Entertainment UK, Stewart Till, said: "Noel, Steve and Mike are all such outstanding examples of the kind of talent that our Creative Media Industries can produce, we are delighted to have them on board. Now, with the Skillset Tick to guide them, we are confident that the pathway for the next generation of stars is clear."

The Pick the Tick promotional film, featuring Noel Clarke, is available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/skillsettv#p/a/u/2/Q4IUlMbMS64.

For more information about the range of Ticked courses and institutions, please visit http://courses.skillset.org/.

18th June 2010

More than £1million earmarked for TV training

Skillset's TV Freelance Fund (TVFF) will spend almost £1.2 million on television training in five priority areas over this financial year.

The TVFF is made up of voluntary contributions from the BBC, Channel 4, Five, the Indie Training Fund (via contributions from member companies), Sky and other cable and satellite companies, and is designed to invest in training for the entire television workforce. The TVFF is committed to increasing the diversity of the television workforce, and assisting the development of TV professionals across the entire UK, not just in the traditional centres of production.

The opening up of a global market, technological changes in how content is created and consumed and reduced commissioning budgets have all resulted in seismic shifts to traditional business models. Skillset argues that to remain competitive, both companies and individuals need to embrace new skills, techniques and business practices. Therefore, investment will be directed into five priority areas:

• Multiplatform: £300,000
• Management and Leadership: £300,000
• New Entrants: £300,000
• Craft and Technical: £50,000
• Health and Safety: £25,000

Administered by Skillset, the TVFF’s spending priorities are determined by the TV Skills Council, which is made up of ten senior representatives from the UK television industry. These decisions are informed by Skillset's research into the skills needs of the industry, as well as the results of our ongoing engagement with the industry.

The remaining £200,000 will be allocated to other schemes throughout the coming year, such as diversity-focused and online learning programmes.

Funding for all of the above programmes, with the exception of new entrants, and some diversity-focused schemes, will be distributed as bursaries, giving TV professionals greater flexibility in accessing the courses that suit them - at a time that suits them.

The TVFF's ongoing commitment to multiplatform training is based on considerable evidence that this continues to be a training priority for companies throughout the television industry. In Skillset's Creative Media Workforce Survey of 2008, the most common need for training was reported as relating to multiplatform content (one in four employers identified this need).

There have been significant job losses in the TV industry, with a virtual freeze on new entrants recruitment by many major employers. Within the context of limited resources and employment opportunities, the TV Freelance Fund is seeking to support training courses for new entrants and professionals in junior roles, aligned with industry requirements by being across a full range of genres and disciplines, and targeted at skills required for cross platform content production.

Health and Safety is a long-standing priority of TVFF, and is essential in providing a safe working environment for those in the industry, while Craft and Technical skills are at the core of content creation and are required regardless of the platform or market you are creating for.

Peter Dale, TV Skills Council Chair and founder of independent production company, Rare Day, said: "We are incredibly proud of the creativity and resilience of our industry, and the aim of these funding programmes is to ensure we continue to entertain, innovate and educate at the highest standards well into the future."

Skillset's chief executive, Dinah Caine, said: "The coming year is going to be extremely important as our industry begins to emerge from the recession and comes to grips with the profound technical changes that have engulfed it in recent years. In this climate, the TVFF is more important than ever, and we would like to thank all of the contributors for the commitment that they have shown to help make sure our industry remains a world leader."

The details of each individual funding programme will be launched as they go live throughout the year.

For more information contact:

• Skillset press and PR officer Nick Sheridan on 020 713 9854 or nicks@skillset.org

Or

• Skillset press and PR manager Jennifer Walters on 0207 713 9854 or jenniferw@skillset.org
• Out-of-hours: 07827 989 330

11th June 2010

Are You Having A Laugh? TV and Disability

Friday 25th June, BBC TWO

Narrated by David Walliams Are You Having A Laugh? TV and Disability is an irreverent, funny and often cringe making look at how television has portrayed disability over the last 50 years. From Sandy in Crossroads to Brenda in The Office, the programme highlights how the subject has been done well, how it's been done badly, and how box ticking, political correctness and the odd token wheelchair has taken us from Ironside to Little Britain in one generation.

With contributions from Stephen Merchant, Ben Miller, Mat Fraser and Kiruna Stamell, Tanni Grey-Thompson and Ash Atalla, Dom Joly, Julie Fernandez and Frencesca Martinez, it looks back at the way society was used to seeing disability on screens and how that compares with what's on there today.

Julia D'Rozario/Pamela Anderson, 020 8576 7797

2nd June 2010

File Based Production Course in Cardiff and Caernarfon

Want to know more about the challenges of broadcast production using a tapeless workflow?

A one-day event covering:

• The Red Camera
• File Based Production
• Storage and Archive
• Real life experience test cases by Boomerang and Mwnci

Representatives and kit from manufacturers will also be available for delegates to access and view.

Who should attend?

This event is open to all and will be of interest especially to those from both the technical and production background that are involved in shooting and producing programmes.

CAERNARFON

Date: 22nd June 2010

Venue: Stiwdio 2, Y Galeri, Caernarfon

Cost: £50 + VAT

CARDIFF

Date: 24th June 2010

Venue: The Theatre, Urdd Centre, Cardiff Bay

Cost: £50 + VAT

To book a place and for more details visit www.cyfle.co.uk

Call CYFLE on 01286 685 242 or email caernarfon@cyfle.co.uk with any queries

This CYFLE course is funded by S4C and TAC and supported by Skillset Cymru.

20th May 2010

Diversity: Putting the Pledge into Action

The Indie Training Fund is holding a half-day workshop helping production companies make the most of their commitment to the Diversity Pledge.

Courses are run at venues around the UK and will be running on 24th June, 14th September, and 25th November 2010. visit the website or email bookings@indietrainingfund.com for more information on venues and to book your place.

Download full details of the courses: Flyer

14th May 2010

BBC Children's to hold a production talent reception

BBC Children's are holding a production talent reception in association with the TV Collective. The event, on Thursday 20th May, will be an opportunity for PDs, SPs and execs to meet key contacts within the department (currently based in London and moving to Salford across 2011). If you haven't already sent your CV to Daniell Morrisey, Talent Executive (daniell.morrisey@bbc.co.uk), please do. Please note that all staff are subject to CRB checks on joining. Invitations will be limited, but we hope to be running further events later on, including one in Manchester.

10th May 2010

Diversity portrayal on screen to be scrutinised in new report commissioned by Channel 4

The on screen portrayal of different groups has been put under the microscope in a new pilot study commissioned by Channel 4.

'This pilot research measures the gap between what we see in the real world, and what we see on TV, and is the first step in developing a comprehensive measurement of how well TV represents and portrays different groups on screen', Oona King, Channel 4's Head of Diversity, revealed today.

It represents the first attempt by a major broadcaster to develop new measures of diversity portrayal across all the main channels, and to establish a base line for potential future evaluation.

Headline findings show:

• Men outnumber women 2:1 on television
• Women on TV are visibly younger: 6 out of 10 men (61%) were 40 plus compared with just 4 in 10 women (42%).

Download the full press release

15th April 2010

Beyonce helps British broadcasters raise money for Haiti

Three months on since the devastating Haiti earthquake, Beyoncé has teamed up with her friend, The Wire star Idris Elba, to provide a really special money-can't-buy prize in an ebay auction for Haiti. After being moved by the plight of the Haitian people, Idris Elba (aka Stringer Bell, The Wire) joined forces with the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN) to organise the auction. The CDN - which brings together British broadcasters - has devised an auction that will get people talking, and hopefully get people bidding, all for a good cause.

The hottest prize is likely to be Beyoncé’s donation of THE shoes she wore in the “I am…Sasha Fierce” tour, which included her performance of world-wide hit "Single Ladies." The once-in-a-lifetime prize for any lady who loves her shoes, is this pair of gold UK size 6 stilettos, autographed by the star herself.

The auction page can be found through www.culturaldiversitynetwork.co.uk - All money raised will go to the Haiti DEC Appeal.

Actress Thandie Newton has kindly donated a signed jacket from her last film, the adrenaline-fuelled adventure movie, 2012.

Idris Elba has donated a signed copy of the complete The Wire Box Set, a signed copy of The Corner by David Simon and Ed Burns and a signed Copy of The Wire: Truth Be Told.

Other auction prizes include four of Google’s new state of the art, yet to be released, touch screen smart phones Nexus One, and the chance to brush shoulders with television’s finest at Britain’s premier awards ceremony, the BAFTA Television Awards 2010, as well as pair of Test Match Cricket tickets donated by Five.

Channel 4 currently chairs the CDN, the media industry body that promotes diversity. Members of the organisation include the BBC, ITV, MTV, Virgin and BAFTA, all of whom have donated prizes to create a bonanza auction of TV related merchandise, memorabilia and not to missed, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Items on offer include:

• Attendance for you and a friend at an eviction night of your choice in the last ever BB series, meet Davina and be the voice of Big Brother, courtesy of Channel 4/Brighter Pictures
• Two tickets to the Live Semi-Final of Britain’s Got Talent, courtesy of ITV
• Meet the entire cast of Corrie and take a seat at the Rovers’ Return with an exclusive backstage tour for four people, courtesy of ITV
• You and up to three friends can visit the set of Hollyoaks and join the crew for filming of scenes and see your favourite cast members close up, courtesy of Lime Pictures/Channel 4
• A Day out at Emmerdale including a tour of all interior sets at Burley Road Studios 1 & 2 including the Woolpack, a tour of Emmerdale Prop Stores and a visit to the Emmerdale village, courtesy of IT
• The chance to be a part of the Loose Women audience and meet the cast, courtesy of ITV
• A Microsoft Xbox Games Console from Microsoft
• Two audience tickets to hot new channel Five show, Don’t Stop Believing
• Straight off the set of EastEnders, the BBC a road sign of ‘Albert Square’ signed by the entire cast of the BBC One soap.

Oona King, Spokesperson for the CDN and Channel 4’s Head of Diversity said,

“The media news cycle has moved on from Haiti, but the suffering hasn't stopped. That's why it's great that stars like Beyoncé, Idris and Thandie have teamed up with broadcasters to lend a hand. So even if you've never bid on eBay before, now's the time to start. The prizes are spectacular, and you'll be helping those in real need”.

11th March 2010

UK Media Join up to Get Creative About Diversity

The BBC, Channel Four, Scottish Screen, Skillset Scotland, indie and freelance producers got together for a unique collaboration in Glasgow last week. It was an Open Forum on 'Diversity – the Creative Opportunity'.

Greater diversity can make programmes more commercially successful as well as more creative, said guest contributor Oona King (Channel 4's Head of Diversity).

'It makes good business sense. A more inclusive industry makes better programmes, and is fairer and more representative. Programme-makers should take the risk to involve new talent from more varied backgrounds off screen as well as on it, from the development stage onwards.'

She said that C4's Drama Controller Tessa Ross, for example, enabled visual artist Steve McQueen to direct 'The Hunger' about ethnic conflict in Northern Ireland - even though he had never directed drama before. And two of C4’s greatest successes in the past 2 years both had diversity at their core: the movies 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'The Last King of Scotland'.

The Forum was initiated and staged by the Indie Training Fund, the leading charity providing development for indie TV and digital media production companies and freelancers. It was one of a series of events and half-day Diversity workshops that ITF is organising around the UK to support the broadcasters’ new Diversity Pledge, and the Cultural Diversity Network.

The discussion was led by Jo Street (BBC Scotland's Daytime Commissioner) and Daniell Morrisey (BBC Vision's Talent Business Manager, and a member of the Indie Talent Forum).

In the opening interactive quiz the small teams of delegates from several Scottish indies (including Bees Nees Media, the Broadbent Partnership, Caledonia TV Productions, The Comedy Unit, Firefly Arts, IWC Media, Lion TV & the Media Co-op), and the BBC, and the freelance producers had some surprises in what they knew about their audiences. Guided by the workshop leaders they then discussed some successful current programmes, and came up with ideas about how they could be improved by working towards more diverse elements and viewpoints.

Most of those present felt they gained new perspectives from the event which they would aim to include in the content of their future projects. Afterwards they said:

'I will try and change my mindset so that diversity is more integrated into the development process'

'We will work even harder to give opportunities to diverse new talent when we hire people'

'A great and thought-provoking session'

ITF's next 'Putting the Pledge into Action' half-day workshops will be taking place on 27th April, 24th June, 14th September, and 25th November.

For more information and bookings, please visit the website at www.indietrainingfund.com or email bookings@indietrainingfund.com.

Download the full press release and flyer:

• Press Release
• Flyer

25th February 2010

Question Time to have all-female audience

By Vicky Shaw, Press Association Media Correspondent

An all-female audience will grill politicians on Question Time for the first time in the show's 30-year history.

The special BBC1 show will take place on March 11 in Dewsbury in Yorkshire and will follow the same format with questions from the audience on topical subjects, the BBC said.

The episode will fall during International Women's Week.

The panel will not be all-female and broadcaster and expert gardener Monty Don is the first confirmed guest. Ceri Goddard, chief executive of equality campaigning group the Fawcett Society, said it "commends the BBC's important decision to hold a Question Time with an audience made up entirely of women, during International Women's Week.

"The Fawcett Society believes, and has said to the BBC, that as a public service broadcaster they play a vital role in ensuring women are properly heard in political debates and can hold politicians to account."

The show will also air in the same week that the society will launch a coalition campaign of women's and equality organisations called What About Women?

Ms Goddard said: "There's no such thing as a 'bloc vote' of women. But the political parties' consideration of women in their policy development falls well short of our expectations. On all the big issues from the economy, to crime, to support for families, politicians often fail to consider or fail to explain what the impact of these decisions will be on women - and often they are starkly different from their impact on men.

"We look forward to women being able to grill politicians on all the big issues, and look forward to politicians being made to account for how their policies affect women."

5th February 2010

Diversity: The Creative Opportunity

A free workshop event to inspire TV and digital media producers to make the most of the creative opportunities presented by including more diverse elements in the content of their projects.

Friday 5th March, 11.00 - 1330

Scottish Screen, Glasgow

Download the details here

25th November 2009

Industry luminaries and politicians pledge their support to Inaugural CDN Diversity Awards

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and leading Broadcasting industry figures lent their support to the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN) tonight; recording messages for the show-reel that opened the inaugural CDN Diversity Awards.

The CDN Diversity Awards were set up this year to celebrate and promote excellence in diverse creative output in the TV sector. The ceremony took place at Channel 4, and was hosted by Alan Carr, with Gok Wan and The Wire’s Idris Elba among those presenting awards.

In interviews recorded for the show-reel, Gordon Brown and David Cameron praised the awards, and the CDN Diversity Pledge, which was set in April this year.

See the winners and read the full press release.

8th October 2009

Pact, BBC, Channel 4 Appoint Diversity Advisor

Pact, the BBC and Channel 4 have appointed Angela Chan to the newly created role of diversity adviser. The appointment is a key part of Pact, Channel 4 and the BBC's strategy to boost diversity in the production sector by helping production companies achieve their diversity goals and deliver the commitments in the recently-launched CDN Diversity Pledge.

As diversity adviser, Angela will be available for all production companies across the UK to provide bespoke advice and support on developing their approach to diversity, ranging from recruitment of staff, crews and other off-camera talent, to casting, through to developing company diversity policies and training. She will work across all aspects of diversity, including cultural and ethnic diversity, disability, gender, age and social class. She will work closely with Pact and the BBC and Channel 4, as well as other broadcasters belonging to the CDN.

Until taking up the diversity adviser post, Angela worked as a freelance diverse talent consultant for BBC Vision, where she helped to spot production and presenter talent from diverse backgrounds who could work at the BBC. She combines experience of working for both the BBC and Channel 4 (where she was deputy commissioning editor, news and current affairs) with considerable experience in the independent production sector, where she has worked as executive producer for Eleven Film, Keo Films and Firefly Film & Television.

Bella Lambourne, director of HR at Endemol and the diversity representative on Pact council, said: "Pact is confident Angela will provide excellent support for production companies as they sign up to the CDN Pledge and develop their diversity policies. It is crucial to the success of this initiative that it is supported by commissioners and so we are delighted that Channel 4 and the BBC are providing financial and strategic support."

Helen Blenkinsop, Managing Editor of BBC Vision Commissioning said, "Reflecting diversity both on and off-screen is hugely important for the BBC. This post is a great step forward, to help companies develop their own plans and pledges, as well as working with broadcasters to help us deliver our ambitions. Angela is a tremendously positive force to drive this agenda forward across the industry."

Channel 4's head of diversity Oona King said: "Programme makers don't wake up in the morning and think 'how can we keep under-represented groups off our TV screens?' But it happens. At Channel 4 diversity is written into our DNA so we naturally want our production partners to get the advice they need to promote change. Angela's wide-ranging experience means she's perfectly suited to take up this exciting role and turn fine words into great outcomes and great TV."

Angela Chan said: "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to support the independent sector in this role and act as a champion for diverse talent in the industry. The CDN pledge represents a real chance for companies to find new ways of engaging with diversity that will push creative boundaries, attract wider audiences and, ultimately, win business."

CDN Steering Group Meeting: A Summary

8th September 2009 - Sixth meeting of the CDN in 2009 held at Channel 4 Horseferry Road

Members represented at the meeting:
Channel 4, BBC, PACT, Sky, BAFTA, ITV, MTV

Items discussed:

• CEO review meeting. A discussion around the agenda items to be discussed at the CEO meeting on 15th September.
• CDN Awards event. Following on from a productive sub-group meeting, further details of the awards event were discussed. This included finalising the award titles and how the judging process would be structured.
• CDN Pledge. A brief update on the signatories to the pledge and which companies are yet to sign up.
• Cross-industry diversity monitoring. Cumberbatch Research Group has been commissioned to pilot a research project in diversity monitoring across the output from most of the CDN membership. The aim is to develop a standard for monitoring diversity that will be taken up by the rest of the industry.
• CDN communications plan. A draft version of a Communications plan was presented to the group for comments and suggestions. Two priorities for the plan were to start building a stakeholder list and develop a quarterly newsletter.
• 2010 mentoring scheme. An overview of the applications received from both mentors and mentees so far. Members were encouraged to continue advertising the scheme.
• Next meeting. 3rd December 2009

The CDN Senior Mentoring Scheme 2010

It doesn't take a genius to tell you that black and minority ethnic groups are currently under-represented at senior levels within the UK broadcast industry. Not a situation that anyone wants to continue, which is why Sky, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, ITN, MTV/Viacom, Virgin Media Television, Turner, BAFTA, Skillset and PACT have come together to form the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN).

A key initiative for the CDN is this industry-wide senior mentoring scheme. Its goal is to provide the support, encouragement and guidance that talented people need to reach senior commissioning or programming positions. Specifically, the programme's been designed to focus on four areas:

• Overcoming barriers to progress
• Developing confidence
• Enhancing skills
• Looking at ways to take career, educational and professional development forward

To find out more about the mentoring scheme, full eligibility criteria and an application form, click the banner below.

CDN Steering Group Meeting: A Summary

7th July 2009 - Fifth meeting of the CDN in 2009 held at Channel 4 Horseferry Road

Members represented at the meeting:
BBC, ITN, Channel 4, Five, MTV, Virgin Media TV, Turner, PACT, Endemol and Juniper

Items discussed:

• REACH role model project. Presentation by Jo Taylor and Alex Beresford. REACH is a government sponsored programme for black boys and young black men, supporting and inspiring them to raise their aspirations, attainment and achievement. Discussion as to how CDN members might get involved. Visit the REACH website for more information.
• CDN Diversity Pledge. Update on pledge signatories to date and actions they are undertaking. 50 companies signed up so far. Discussion on responses to the pledge and plans for a Pledge recognition event later in the year.
• Pact Diversity Advisor. Finalising details for the appointment of a new diversity advisor to help companies signing up to the pledge. Appointment to be advertised the following week.
• CDN Communications Plan. Discussion around developing a formal PR/comms plan for the CDN to improve external communication of the work of the group. As a start it was agreed to publish a summary of the CDN meetings and current activities on the website.
• CDN Mentoring Scheme. Following the success of the 2008/9 scheme, the group discussed the launch of the 2009/2010 Senior Mentoring scheme. All members were encouraged to look for potential candidates and the CDN was keen that a significant number of these should be outside London. Closing date for applications was agreed to be the end of September 2009.
• CDN News Event. It was agreed that ITN/ITV will organise a CDN event in the Autumn to focus specifically on Diversity in the News. Sir Trevor Macdonald had already agreed to take part.
• Next meeting 8th September 2009

Cultural Diversity Network launches new cross broadcaster initiative to promote Diversity

A new CDN cross broadcaster Diversity Pledge was launched at two events in London and Manchester on the 23rd April 2009.

The Pledge aims to help both independent production, post production and other supplier companies and in house producers take measureable steps to improve diversity in the Industry.

This is the first time the CDN, including BBC, ITV, Sky, C4, Five, Turner, MTV Networks and Virgin Media Television, has signed up to an initiative of this kind. The pledge was created in partnership with Pact, and supported by the BCIDN (Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network). The CDN will monitor the diversity practices of the independent production companies they work with, as well as in house producers, in real and quantifiable ways.

Click on the links below to see related articles and press releases:

• CDN Press release
• CDN North Press release
• Articles in Broadcast
  • 22 April 2009
  • 6 May 2009