In 2015 April Reign spearheaded the #OscarsSoWhite movement to call out the Academy Awards’ lack of inclusivity among its acting nominees. The hashtag gained even more momentum in 2016, when the Oscars once again failed to nominate any people of color in the acting categories, and galvanized the Academy into making some much-needed changes to its membership base. The Oscars are still predominantly white and male, but Reign completely changed the conversation about which films and individuals the Academy tends to honor.
Now, as Mic reports, Reign is revitalizing the conversation around inclusive hiring thanks to Akuarel, a database people of color and individuals from marginalized communities can use to find employment in creative industries. A reference to Aquarelle, the water-color drawing pencils Reign and her friends used as kids, Akuarel also helps filmmakers find diverse talent.
“This answers one of the issues raised by #OscarsSoWhite of studios saying, ‘We want to work with people from marginalized communities, but we just don’t know where to find them,’” Reign explained. “[Akuarel] is going to drop them right in their lap.”
The database was developed in partnership with the Motion Picture Association of America. The Multicultural Media Correspondents Association (MMCA) hosts the site.
As the source points out, a system like Akuarel could prevent future film projects from taking the same problematic route as Guy Ritchie’s live-action “Aladdin” remake. The upcoming Disney flick has been the center of several controversies: Ritchie saying he couldn’t find a male 20-something actor of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent to play Aladdin; the casting of Naomi Scott — who is of British and Indian descent — as the Middle Eastern Jasmine; and reports that Disney darkened white extras’ skin instead of hiring actors of color.
With Akuarel, studio execs and filmmakers will no longer be able to use the “We just couldn’t find the right person” excuse. “There are a billion Asian people in the world, but we can’t find our Princess Jasmine?” Reign observed. “To me that’s nonsense.”
Actors and other aspiring media or entertainment professionals can join Akuarel for free. Studios and industry execs must pay a fee to use the database, “which allows them to search for applicants … rather than relying solely on traditional talent agencies.”
“Our main objective now is to get Akuarel populated by the talent and the stakeholders themselves,” said MMCA prez David Morgan. “The value to the studios will be once it’s sufficiently populated. A lot of the studios were already partnering with us on sponsorship arrangements.”
If you’re interested in using Akuarel or finding out more, go to MMCA’s website.
