New SBS guidelines and reporting commitment for representation on and off screen
SBS is elevating its commitment to reflecting and exploring the diversity of today’s Australia in the distinctive programs it commissions, and expanding its accountability through new reporting, with the introduction of new guidelines for a more inclusive screen sector.
Released today, the SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines build on SBS’s multicultural and multilingual content reporting each year, and its range of investments in initiatives providing pathways for creatives under-represented in the sector. The guidelines outline commitments for representation of people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations, people with disability, LGBTIQ+, and women, in roles on and off screen, with genre-specific targets across documentaries, drama, entertainment and food programming commissioned by SBS.
SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said: “Australians have trusted SBS for more than 45 years to reflect the cultures and experiences that shape who we are as a nation. Our commitment to inclusion underpins our unique programs, from New Gold Mountain to Australia Uncovered, The Cook Up to Eurovision, and the compelling and courageous 2022 content slate SBS has revealed today. We connect audiences in powerful – and empowering – ways, making sure diverse and under-represented voices are heard.
“We believe the Australian screen sector can be lifted to even greater heights when everyone who wants to participate has equal opportunity to succeed. It takes deliberate focus, leadership and accountability to continue to improve and drive ongoing change, and that’s why our commissioning guidelines are the most ambitious, nuanced and comprehensive in our industry. They also demonstrate our commitment to audiences: as Australia grows more diverse, all Australians will continue to recognise themselves and their communities on SBS.
“The guidelines, along with the range of inclusion initiatives we deliver, reinforce our ever-growing commitment to pursuing innovations in delivering the SBS Charter. Our funding and production partners are an essential part of our ability to showcase our distinct purpose through great Australian content, and we are grateful for their support.”
The multi-year targets outlined in the guidelines are designed to remove barriers when casting on-screen talent or hiring off-screen crew, with a focus on increasing representation of people from five key under-represented groups, recognising intersectionality and diversity reflected in other ways. They also complement existing SBS screen sector initiatives and investment, including the Diversity Talent Escalator, Digital Originals, the Emerging Writers’ Incubator, Curious Australia, the AFTRS Graduate Program, the R.I.D.E (Respect, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality) Fund and many more, providing meaningful opportunities for under-represented talent and enriched storytelling.
SBS Content Industry Diversity Manager, Michelle Cheng, said: “The new guidelines represent SBS’s commitment to creating a level playing field for practitioners from under-represented backgrounds. As Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster, we’re leading the conversation about representation in the media and building a way forward, supported by our equity and inclusion targets and guidelines.
“We are excited to work with our production partners to meet our goals over the three-year reporting period. SBS will provide practical support to production companies, including funding, training, initiatives and connections to talent from under-represented backgrounds.”
The guidelines apply to SBS, not individual productions, or production companies, for commissions and internal productions across programming in its scripted and unscripted slates.
A new SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines portal has also been launched to support producers and production companies working with SBS. The portal will contain a suite of equity and inclusion resources which are publicly available.
The Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines are part of the SBS 2022-2024 Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Strategy, which builds on SBS’s previous diversity and inclusion plan, with key focus areas and goals aligned to SBS’s vision for inclusive content, business operations and a diverse and inclusive workplace.
The strategy and guidelines have been developed and informed by industry research and engagement, including with SBS’s stakeholders, and SBS values their support. They include Screen Australia and state and territory screen agencies, Screen Producers Australia, Casting Guild of Australia, the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), as well as SBS production partners including Blackfella Films, CJZ, Endemol Shine Australia, Blink TV, Warner Bros Australia, ITV Studios Australia, BBC Studios, and more.
SBS Head of Scripted Julie Eckersley, SBS Head of Unscripted John Godfrey, and SBS Industry Diversity Manager Michelle Cheng, sat down with Eyes on Gilead podcast host and Head of Curation for SBS On Demand, Fiona Williams, to discuss how the SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines were developed in consultation with industry partners, how the targets will lead to better storytelling, and the role of SBS as Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster in contributing to a more inclusive future for the screen industry. Listen to the podcast discussion – ‘How to change an industry: One commission at a time’ – here.
For a PDF version of this media release, click here.