Annual event to be held on June 18 on the topic of Great British Film, Television and Games Event - Striving for Diversity Nirvana.

Lenny Henry is to introduce this year’s National Film and Television School’s (NFTS) Gala.

The Great British Film, Television and Games Event - Striving for Diversity Nirvana will take place on June 18 at Old Billingsgate.

Baroness Floella Benjamin, OBE, is chairing the Gala committee, which includes Paralympic medalist Ade Adepitan, director Alrick Riley, Fujitsu UK and Ireland chairman Simon Blagden, MBE, Ingenious Investments CEO James Clayton, Wall to Wall TV founder Alex Graham, Coutts & Co’s media banking division director Judith Chan, Global Group executive president and founder Ashley Tabor and NFTS director Nik Powell.

Henry recently launched a nationwide campaign to increase diversity on our screens by calling for a change in the law to boost the number of Black and Minority Ethnic workers in British broadcast media.

The Gala aims to raise funds for the school to enable greater opportunities for women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, LGBT and people with disabilities to study at the NFTS through scholarships and its outreach programme.

NFTS already provides £650,000 a year in scholarships to UK students and the Toledo Scholarship, established by producer Duncan Kenworthy, has awarded £150,000 to enable talented newcomers from the UK’s ethnic minorities to fast-track their ambitions and join the British film industry.

Powell commented: “The NFTS endeavours to attract a diverse body of students to ensure that their rich mix of experiences, hopes and aspirations are reflected in the great films that get made at the school and continue to be made by our alumni. But we are aware that more can be done to increase the numbers of people from diverse backgrounds in influential positions behind and in front of the camera.”

Ingenious is the Gala’s main industry sponsor, along with Microsoft, while Screen International and Broadcast are the media partners.

 

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