Breaking Barriers
Sunday 2 June 10:00 | Odeon Luxe West End Industry experts join us to discuss how we can work together to challenge barriers faced by newcomers to the film and TV industry. This event is free, and will include a networking session following the discussion.
Speakers
Lizzy Burden (Chair)
Lizzy Burden is UK correspondent on Bloomberg TV. She hosts Bloomberg Radio, weekdays 9-10am, as well as the daily Bloomberg UK Politics Podcast, and regularly anchors Bloomberg TV. She also writes the Readout newsletter and blogs for Markets Today. Passionate about diversity, Lizzy is a non-executive director at Creative Access, which works to widen representation in the creative industries. In 2017, it secured her first opportunity in journalism, an internship at The Times which led to the graduate scheme. She went on to write about economics for The Telegraph and Bloomberg News before moving into broadcasting full-time.
Neila Butt
Neila Butt is Channel 4’s Creative Diversity Lead for the Nations and Regions. She has been working in TV and Audio for over 20 years, with a background in news. Her expertise in DEI challenges covers finding and working with both on and off screen talent, unpicking complex editorial, as well as running various interventions to improve representation and portrayal.
Mariayah Kaderbhai
Mariayah Kaderbhai is BAFTA’s head of programmes, where she oversees industry events and initiatives across film, games and television. Her work includes research and policy to ensure the screen industries become more inclusive on and off screen. She recently completed her MA in Media and the Middle East at SOAS, University of London, with her thesis focused on the representation of Muslims on British television. Kaderbhai’s research fed into USC Annenberg’s 2021 study Missing & Maligned: The Reality of Muslims in Popular Global Movies
Marcus Ryder
A long time and recognised leading figure in efforts to increase media diversity in 2023 Marcus Ryder became CEO of the Film and TV Charity. Marcus took over the Charity’s reins just as the full extent of the “perfect storm” of the US actors’ and writers’ strikes, and UK television commissioning slow down, was being felt by industry workers. The Charity raised a quarter of a million pounds in less than two weeks to redistribute in hardship grants. Following the conflict in the middle east and the ensuing humanitarian crisis, Marcus pivoted the charity, to address the ongoing mental health issues of those directly and indirectly affected in the industry. Reel Impact is the Film and TV Charity’s brand-new programme to support Black and Global Majority creatives working behind the scenes! The grants element of Reel Impact is open now, with up to £10k for individuals and £25k for organisations available.