Raising Films recently held an Industry Summit “to discuss practical solutions for parents and carers working in the film and television industries,” the company announced in a press release. It also launched the Family Support Fund, “a 12-month pilot scheme offering financial support to professionals working across the U.K. screen sector.” According to ScreenDaily, this fund is the first dedicated to U.K. screen professionals’ caring costs.
The summit was held in response to Raising Films’ 2016 Making It Possible survey, “a nationwide statistical evaluation of the impact of parenting and caring on the working professionals in the screen industries.” As such, key figures in the U.K. entertainment industry discussed how to “1) enable financial assistance for childcare; 2) encourage industry-wide adoption of flexible working and access to childcare; 3) formalize a way to combat discrimination; [and] 4) normalize conversations around caring commitments with employers and financiers.”
Summit attendees included individuals from production, distribution, and exhibition sectors as well as agents, unions, and public funding bodies. BFI, Channel 4, Creative Skillset, and Women in Film & TV also participated.
Actress Charlotte Riley (“Edge of Tomorrow”), named Raising Films’ first Ambassador, said, “I’m delighted to join the Raising Films campaign to support those parents and carers working in the U.K. film and television industries who find it difficult to continue their careers after having a family. Our challenge is not to reform the system but to transform it in order to make our industry more inclusive, more accessible, and a better place to work.”
In partnership with the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF), Raising Films is also implementing the Family Support Fund, which provides short-term financial assistance. The CTBF will support Raising Films’ members via contributions of up to $94 per day for childcare costs, and up to a maximum yearly amount of $1880 per beneficiary.
Discussing the fund, CTBF CEO D’Arcy Myers said, “Our industry can often be an unpredictable place — so many find the obstacles of ill-health and raising a family in their path and sadly the costs and practicalities for care can be prohibitive, making returning to work very difficult. We are thrilled to be partnering with Raising Films to launch the Family Support Fund as we further our commitment to supporting more people from our industry who are facing barriers to work throughout their career journey.”
Hope Dickson Leach, co-founder of Raising Films, added, “We know what a difference this kind of assistance can make to filmmakers with caring responsibilities, and look forward to building upon this initiative so that we can increase our reach and keep more individuals in the industry.”
Raising Films was founded by Leach, Sophie Mayer, Nicky Bentham, Jessica Levick, and Line Langebek. The organization’s report “Making it Possible: Voices of Parents and Carers in the UK Film and Television Industry” concluded that the lack of sufficient childcare is the root issue of why there are so few women behind the camera.
It’s great to see Raising Films directly addressing the struggles women (and men) face when locating decent care for their children and loved ones. We can only hope that Hollywood heeds the words of Zoe Saldana and does the same.
