Building on the call from disabled-led organisations to make the TV industry more accessible to deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent (DDN) cast and crew, a new cohort of access coordinators have completed their training and are now ready to take on work facilitating access requirements within the TV industry. His Dark Materials screenwriter, Jack Thorne, has previously underlined the importance of the role on productions, saying that access coordinators are “long overdue”, and that the role “is vital, and will support both busy productions and the industry in making the changes needed.”
The role of the access coordinator was created to ensure access, equity and inclusion for all and particularly to ensure that access requirements of DDN cast and crew are facilitated and do not fall to the wayside in the busy landscape of TV production. To ensure that this role succeeds, the HETV Skills Fund has funded an in-depth access coordinator programme, delivered by disabled-led partnering organisations: TripleC, DDPTV, Access All Areas, Brazen Productions and C-Talent.
“This feels like a huge leap forward in creating the industry-changing accessible environments that we need,” said Melissa Johns, an actor, writer and co-creative lead at TripleC. “We are proud to have delivered an in-depth training course that explores access and TV production merging together and are excited to see our trainee access coordinators move into their placement phase where they can really start to make the change that we need to see.”
The course received over 150 applications from DDN creatives, highlighting the demand for dedicated access coordinators from the DDN community who recognise the importance of the role on productions if we are to succeed in making HETV more accessible for all. Of the 150 applications, 13 access coordinators have taken part in this programme over 2023/24.
The trainees on the course have received extensive training in how to provide access for different access requirements, have developed the skills to facilitate these access requirements in an HETV context and are now available for 12-week access coordinator placements on HETV productions.
"I knew how important and progressive this role was going into the training programme,” explains Helen McEwan, a participant in the training programme. “The broad spectrum of diverse and inclusive training undertaken thus far has been invaluable. Access is an essential component for everyone and having completed my training I feel confident and supported to help improve disability representation in the industry. ScreenSkills’ HETV Fund facilitating a placement on a HETV production will provide me with the hands-on experience to apply acquired knowledge in a real world, real time setting. The placement will also afford me the opportunity to build professional connections, develop communication skills and allow my creative, solution focussed approach to thrive as an access coordinator."
The 12-week placements are being funded by ScreenSkills HETV Skills Fund as part of their commitment to improving access and DDN representation in the industry: “The need for trained specialist access coordinators and their importance to production has become increasingly apparent,” said Kaye Elliott, Director of High-end TV, ScreenSkills. “The HETV Skills Fund has a long-term commitment to increasing access to roles in TV, and this programme is a further positive step to ensure that all cast and crew have their individual needs met on set so that they can perform to their best ability, in a supportive environment and bring their creative and technical value to the production. I know that productions across the UK are keen to harness the full potential of talent in the workforce and engaging a dedicated access coordinator who can identify individual needs and support their implementation on set will help make that happen.”
Six access coordinators have now had production placements confirmed. Any further productions interested in hosting an access coordinator placement should contact ScreenSkills or TripleC for more details on the trainees and information on how to secure the funding.
Furthering their commitment to access in HETV the HETV Skills Fund programmes in 2024/2025 will include recruiting a new cohort for the Access Coordinator programme, to support people with access requirements on productions. Additionally, the HETV Leaders of Tomorrow programme will also appoint a dedicated access consultant, through Access all Media, specifically to advise and ensure the training delivers the individual access needs of those taking part.
To find out more about hosting an access coordinator placement email triplecmanchester@gmail.com or Nicky.Ball@screenskills.com.