class & Social equality
class in the tv industry
“[People from a working class background] are the largest potential audience for the content we make. Yet they are the least able to find a foothold in the industry to bring their experience and their stories to work in an environment that makes them feel safe”
James Graham, playwright and dramatist, The James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture 2024
Class and Social Equality Working Group
We are convening a working group to show it can be possible for people from a working class background to have a career in the industry.
Twenty-four TV professionals, including a range of voices, from freelancers to CEO, and producers to writers, will help steer our work on class and social equality. They will all bring personal experience and strong and passionate perspectives, on what needs to change to address socio-economic diversity within the industry.
Amongst the first tasks to be addressed will be to:
- raising the visibility of people from working class backgrounds already in the industry;
- understanding the current landscape and its effects on recruitment from different socio-economic groups;
- defining what a Class Confident organisation in TV looks like.
Members of the working group are:
- Alison Ramsay, Freelance Director & Development Exec
- Amber Haque, Freelance Presenter & Documentary Maker
- Bradley Down, BBC Drama Commissioning Executive
- Ceri Aston, Creative Director, MultiStory Media (part of ITV Studios)
- Chanise Evans, BBC Presenter, Senior Advisor
- David Leach, Head of Unscripted / Development Exec, Climate Spring
- David Macpherson, Freelance Writer
- Emma Morris, Executive Editor of Morning Live and The One Show, BBC Studios
- Gama Gbio, Freelance Development Producer
- Gina Lyons, Founder, Gobby Girl Productions
- Hannah Livingston, Freelance Shooting Producer / Director
- Jackie Myburgh, Apple TV+ Head of Production, UK & Europe
- Jon Green, Creative Director, Unscripted Formats, Fulwell 73
- Karl Warner, EVP UK Entertainment and Digital Development, BBC Studios
- Lisa Gifford, Freelance Screenwriter
- Lucie Duxbury, Head of Programmes, The Garden
- Luke Seraphin, Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Sky Original Programming
- Mark Wynter, Director of Client Partnerships UK, Picture Shop
- Neila Butt, Creative Equity Lead, Channel 4
- Nicola Crowther, Head of Audience Engagement / Co-chair of BBC RAISED
- Patrick Holland, Chair and CEO, Banijay UK
- Sabrina Parmar, Assistant Commissioner, Sky
- Tammie Meera Ash, Freelance Assistant Producer
- Tessa Matchett, Head of Group Communications, ITV Studios