The in-depth report was released today. <\/p>
A new report has been published today that puts the spotlight on racism in the entertainment industry and the results are sobering, to say the least. As part of an investigation by Birmingham City University, 1,300 actors were polled and \u201cracial ceilings, stereotypes and prejudice\u201d are all still being experienced by many of those spoken to.<\/p>\n
Lenny Henry has spoken out after seeing the results of the study (which was commissioned by the Sir Lenny<\/span> Henry Centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University and the Personal Managers Association with support from the Casting Director\u2019s Guild), and has said that \u201cthe fact that the majority of respondents had directly experienced racism in the workplace should be a stain against the entire industry\u201d.<\/p>\n Key findings from the research include:<\/p>\n Actors who participated in the survey also revealed specific issues around hair and make-up, and an inability to speak up against racist practices encountered while working. The report found:<\/p>\n Recommendations from the Race Between the Lines: Actors\u2019 Experience of Race and Racism in Britain\u2019s Audition and Casting Process and On-Set report include:<\/p>\n The report includes a foreword from Henry himself who said:<\/p>\n \u201cCasting is one of the most important aspects of achieving true and accurate diversity, inclusion and equity in the acting profession. It is literally the foundation that everything else is built upon. Every time we see a great actor like Thandiwe Newton, Idris Elba or David Harewood leave these shores to find opportunities denied to them in the UK, it is a painful reminder of why casting is so important.<\/em><\/p>\n The workplace environment has also been found to be problematic by the majority of respondents to the survey. Knowledge of non-white physical characteristics by hair and make-up artists has been revealed as deeply problematic for performers of colour, with actors from African-Caribbean heritages at a particular disadvantage.<\/em><\/p>\n Report author, diversity researcher and writer Dr Jami Rogers said, \u201cThis survey has revealed how much work the entertainment industry has to do to fix the systemic inequalities that affect performers of all minority ethnic communities. The experiences of overt racism in this report are, frankly, horrific and the actors\u2019 comments expose the grim reality they sometimes face when all they are trying to do is earn a living from an art form they love.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n You can read the full report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n