Be Seen. Be Heard : Building Resilience and Opening Access for Emerging Talent

Emerging talent across the live events, film production and broadcast industries in the UK revealed that lack of career visibility for young people, access, money, location, and uncertain career pathways and opportunity were amongst their main career barriers, which were shown through audience poll results at a recent London event.

‘Be Seen. Be Heard’ brought together professionals to help amplify diverse voices and create opportunities for those often underrepresented in the industry.

The speaker lineup included diverse industry voices including Disguise Founder Ash Nehru, Production Futures CEO Hannah Eakins, Petok Productions Founder Pembe Tokluhan, The Fifth Estate Ltd Creative Director Sarah Rushton-Read, FRAY Studio Creative Technologist Kira O’Brien, Bluman Associates Owner Pod Bluman, frame:work Director Sarah Cox, Disguise Head of Live Events Emily Malone and Creative Technology’s Head of Film and Entertainment Connie Glover.

Through interactive sessions speakers also explored the reasons why people don’t stay in the industry, which included poor work-life balance, bypassing gatekeepers, and not feeling part of a collective.

Financial barriers, including the need to invest in expensive equipment and the expectation to move to London on a minimum wage when starting out in entry roles were also addressed. O’Brien pointed out what is often overlooked, that “skillsets exist across the country, not just in London,” suggesting that most roles can now be delivered remotely.

Disguise’s Malone agreed that “work opportunities and pathways were not easy to find… (But) talent is everywhere, opportunities are not.”

The speakers also touched on the support needed for early career development and pay transparency within the freelance community. Managing mental health and making sure your team has access to networking events were also high on the agenda in creating a more inclusive work environment.

Tokluhan told IBC365 about the importance of creating a diverse and equitable industry and a safe space to open the conversation: “(The event) felt like the perfect space for me to share my experiences and allow myself to be vulnerable, showing others that they are not alone. These conversations are essential to fostering a safer, more diverse, and equitable industry where people feel supported and want to work.”

Tokluhan added that the event allowed industry members to “share their real lived experiences and connect with like-minded individuals who are also seeking their tribe in the industry.”

Co-host Bluman said: “The creative video and live events industries have been inclusive in accepting neurodiversity and non-typical individuals, yet there is so much work to do. Whenever I attend any industry event, there is just not enough diversity that there should be. “Be Seen. Be Heard” is designed to build on this foundation, working towards a future workforce that reflects the full diversity of society.”

Cox from frame:work summed up the purpose of the event and why more needs to be done to make people feel seen, heard, reassured and inspired, whilst creating a safe network and community: “Leaving this industry in a better place than how we found it.”

Disguise are a platform for visual experiences that help create the next dimension for live music events, live TV broadcasts, immersive experiences, installations, theatre, film and TV production, corporate communications and brand product launches. Bluman Associates specialise in video and digital technologies and workflows and their use in live events, including creating all the 3D content for the world’s first use of XR technology in a live TV show performance at the BRITs 2020.