This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/05/tax-breaks-would-focus-minds-on-real-diversity-in-film-and-tv
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Tax breaks would focus minds on real diversity in film and TV | Tax breaks would focus minds on real diversity in film and TV |
| (2 months later) | |
| We call for the immediate introduction of a film and television “representation tax relief” to increase the employment of women, disabled people and people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds behind the camera in the British film and television industries. | We call for the immediate introduction of a film and television “representation tax relief” to increase the employment of women, disabled people and people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds behind the camera in the British film and television industries. |
| True representation of the diversity of the UK isn’t just about what we see on our screens but also the people writing, directing, filming and working behind the camera. | True representation of the diversity of the UK isn’t just about what we see on our screens but also the people writing, directing, filming and working behind the camera. |
| Over the years some of the most important British films and television have been written and directed by Britain’s talented female, BAME and disabled creatives including the award-winning Amma Asante, Sally Wainwright, Gurinder Chadha, Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen, Sharon Horgan and Michaela Coel. | Over the years some of the most important British films and television have been written and directed by Britain’s talented female, BAME and disabled creatives including the award-winning Amma Asante, Sally Wainwright, Gurinder Chadha, Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen, Sharon Horgan and Michaela Coel. |
| They enrich the creativity of the UK and add to our cultural heritage, but unfortunately they continue to be the exception rather than the rule. | They enrich the creativity of the UK and add to our cultural heritage, but unfortunately they continue to be the exception rather than the rule. |
| We believe the implementation of a representation tax relief is necessary because diversity in important sections of the UK film and television industry is in crisis:• A report by Directors UK revealed only 2.31% of UK television is made by directors of BAME background.• According to the British Film Institute, only 3% of the UK film industry’s production and post-production workforce are from a BAME background.• Over the last decade women made up only 13.6% of working film directors in the UK, despite making up the majority of film students.• Only 0.3% of the total UK film workforce and 4.5% of the television workforce are disabled, well short of the 18% in the population who consider themselves disabled. | We believe the implementation of a representation tax relief is necessary because diversity in important sections of the UK film and television industry is in crisis:• A report by Directors UK revealed only 2.31% of UK television is made by directors of BAME background.• According to the British Film Institute, only 3% of the UK film industry’s production and post-production workforce are from a BAME background.• Over the last decade women made up only 13.6% of working film directors in the UK, despite making up the majority of film students.• Only 0.3% of the total UK film workforce and 4.5% of the television workforce are disabled, well short of the 18% in the population who consider themselves disabled. |
| These numbers are shocking. | These numbers are shocking. |
| Tax relief is a tried and tested mechanism to increase employment and activity in the UK film industry. | Tax relief is a tried and tested mechanism to increase employment and activity in the UK film industry. |
| We believe a representation tax relief would encourage investment in diverse film and television productions, boost the growth of UK film and television productions directed, written and filmed by disabled people, women and BAME background people. It would also increase the level of diversity in the industry workforce. | We believe a representation tax relief would encourage investment in diverse film and television productions, boost the growth of UK film and television productions directed, written and filmed by disabled people, women and BAME background people. It would also increase the level of diversity in the industry workforce. |
| A report by the BFI showed that spend on film production in the UK reached the highest level on record in 2017 with £1.9bn, a 12% increase on the previous year and total UK expenditure on high-end television in 2017 was £938m, an increase from £861m in 2016. | A report by the BFI showed that spend on film production in the UK reached the highest level on record in 2017 with £1.9bn, a 12% increase on the previous year and total UK expenditure on high-end television in 2017 was £938m, an increase from £861m in 2016. |
| Employment in film and video production has also grown year on year, according to the BFI, at a considerably faster rate than the rest of the economy, and a large part of this success and growth has been attributed to the government’s film and TV tax credits schemes. | Employment in film and video production has also grown year on year, according to the BFI, at a considerably faster rate than the rest of the economy, and a large part of this success and growth has been attributed to the government’s film and TV tax credits schemes. |
| Importantly, in recent years, the UK film and TV tax relief scheme has been adapted to focus on areas such as children’s animation. Kay Benbow, then head of BBC CBeebies channel said tax relief “tipped the balance” for productions that otherwise would not have been commissioned. | Importantly, in recent years, the UK film and TV tax relief scheme has been adapted to focus on areas such as children’s animation. Kay Benbow, then head of BBC CBeebies channel said tax relief “tipped the balance” for productions that otherwise would not have been commissioned. |
| We believe boosting diversity in UK film and TV should benefit from the same incentives. | We believe boosting diversity in UK film and TV should benefit from the same incentives. |
| A representation tax relief would give UK film and television productions tax relief if they meet three of the four following criteria: (1) The director is a woman and/or disabled and/or from a BAME background. (2) The writer is a woman and/or disabled and/or from a BAME background. (3) The director of photography is a woman and/or disabled and/or from a BAME background. (4) 50% of staff spend behind the camera is on female staff, or 14% on BAME staff, or 18% on disabled staff. | A representation tax relief would give UK film and television productions tax relief if they meet three of the four following criteria: (1) The director is a woman and/or disabled and/or from a BAME background. (2) The writer is a woman and/or disabled and/or from a BAME background. (3) The director of photography is a woman and/or disabled and/or from a BAME background. (4) 50% of staff spend behind the camera is on female staff, or 14% on BAME staff, or 18% on disabled staff. |
| Complaints over the lack of diversity in the creative industries have seen things slowly begin to change, but the time has come for more substantive measures, and real change needs to be underwritten by law. The measures we are calling for are long overdue and will ensure the UK has the most diverse and vibrant film and television industries in the world. | Complaints over the lack of diversity in the creative industries have seen things slowly begin to change, but the time has come for more substantive measures, and real change needs to be underwritten by law. The measures we are calling for are long overdue and will ensure the UK has the most diverse and vibrant film and television industries in the world. |
| Ade AdepitanAaqil AhmedSimon AlburyKwame Kwei-ArmahFloella BenjaminMalorie BlackmanJuliet BlakeJim BroadbentGurinder ChadhaLolita ChakrabartiGemma ChanChris ChibnallAndrew Chowns CEO, Directors UKAllan CubittKwadjo DajanPeter DennisAlesha DixonJasmine DotiwalaNadine Marsh-EdwardsChiwetel EjioforBarbara EmileAngela FerreiraMichael FosterNeil GaimanLucy GannonDavid & Carrie GrantTony GrisoniJill HalfpennyCharlie HansonCarol HardingDavid HarewoodTim HealyLenny HenryHarry HillAfua HirschSharon HorganAmanda JenksSue JohnstonCush JumboPreeya KalidasKanya KingCharles LauderDoreen LawrenceAdrian LesterMatt LucasBen MillerAnn MitchellTanya MoodieCourttia NewlandThandie NewtonRufus NorrisFemi OgunsDavid OyelowoMica ParisSimone PennantAshley PharoahLucy PrebbleDr Paulette RandallAde RawcliffeAlrick RileyMarcus RyderSteve Smith Chair, Directors UKMeera SyalGeoff SmallKobna Holdbrook-SmithDelyth ThomasEmma ThompsonCharles ThompsonChe WalkerJodie WhittakerDaniel YorkPat YoungeAct For ChangeBECTUBlack Members Sub-Committee BECTUThe Indie ClubThe TV CollectiveDirectors UKScreen NationWomen in Film & TV UK | Ade AdepitanAaqil AhmedSimon AlburyKwame Kwei-ArmahFloella BenjaminMalorie BlackmanJuliet BlakeJim BroadbentGurinder ChadhaLolita ChakrabartiGemma ChanChris ChibnallAndrew Chowns CEO, Directors UKAllan CubittKwadjo DajanPeter DennisAlesha DixonJasmine DotiwalaNadine Marsh-EdwardsChiwetel EjioforBarbara EmileAngela FerreiraMichael FosterNeil GaimanLucy GannonDavid & Carrie GrantTony GrisoniJill HalfpennyCharlie HansonCarol HardingDavid HarewoodTim HealyLenny HenryHarry HillAfua HirschSharon HorganAmanda JenksSue JohnstonCush JumboPreeya KalidasKanya KingCharles LauderDoreen LawrenceAdrian LesterMatt LucasBen MillerAnn MitchellTanya MoodieCourttia NewlandThandie NewtonRufus NorrisFemi OgunsDavid OyelowoMica ParisSimone PennantAshley PharoahLucy PrebbleDr Paulette RandallAde RawcliffeAlrick RileyMarcus RyderSteve Smith Chair, Directors UKMeera SyalGeoff SmallKobna Holdbrook-SmithDelyth ThomasEmma ThompsonCharles ThompsonChe WalkerJodie WhittakerDaniel YorkPat YoungeAct For ChangeBECTUBlack Members Sub-Committee BECTUThe Indie ClubThe TV CollectiveDirectors UKScreen NationWomen in Film & TV UK |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |
| • Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition | • Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition |
| Television industry | Television industry |
| Film industry | Film industry |
| BFI | BFI |
| Jodie Whittaker | Jodie Whittaker |
| Emma Thompson | Emma Thompson |
| Matt Lucas | Matt Lucas |
| Kwame Kwei-Armah | Kwame Kwei-Armah |
| letters | letters |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |