The film, TV and media landscape continues to evolve with a necessary focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. But what is the real driver behind this shift, and what exactly does it entail? Join Stockade Works and industry leaders in thoughtful and action-oriented conversations to learn more about the changes that are in motion, and our roles in facilitating progress. This three-part dialogue, presented in partnership with White Feather Farm, has been curated so that each session builds on the previous, ensuring participants walk away informed, empowered and inspired to step into their roles as change agents.
Individuals working in film, television, media and the arts are encouraged to attend.
Session 1 - Informed: Tuesday, June 29 | 5pm-6pm EST
There is a lot of discussion around the need to ‘diversify the industry’ and ‘lean into inclusion’ but what exactly does this mean and who is doing something about it? During this session we will dive into trends across the industry prompting the need for change, as well as specific actions being introduced across film, TV and media with a goal of moving beyond discussion.
Join the conversation facilitated by the Stockade Works leadership team and Jeanell English, Director, Office of Representation, Inclusion and Equity at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with guest speakers Bree LeGrande Frank, Vice President, Physical Production - Unscripted, Hello Sunshine and Dr. Darnell Hunt, Dean of the Division of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
SPEAKERS
Bree LeGrande Frank
As an accomplished Television Executive, and advocate for people of color in media, Bree is passionate about creating opportunities for professionals of all backgrounds.
With over 20 years of professional production experience, she has produced nearly 300 hours of unscripted television, including MTV's Room Raiders, TLC's A Makeover Story, and the award-winning television format Wife Swap. She has also contributed to a number of series during a 10-year run in Production Management for ZodiakMedia's New York office. Read more here.
Dr. Darnell Hunt
Darnell Hunt is Dean of the Division of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Hunt has written extensively on race and media, including four books and numerous scholarly journal articles and popular magazine articles. Prior to his positions at UCLA, he chaired the Department of Sociology at the University of Southern California (USC).
For more than two decades, Dr. Hunt has worked on numerous projects exploring the issues of access and diversity in the Hollywood industry. He was lead author of UCLA’s 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Hollywood Diversity Reports, which provide comprehensive analyses of the employment of women and minorities in front of and behind the camera in film and television. Read more here.
Jeanell English
Jeanell's unique career path began in the more traditional Human Resources space where she worked as a business partner and DEI specialist implementing programs and interventions such as unconscious bias and cross-cultural trainings, global diversity awareness campaigns, wellbeing programs and M&A cultural integration sessions.
Jeanell is the founder of Elizabeth, an independent publisher, and consultancy, amplifying the voices of women and marginalized communities with an emphasis on production and creative industries. She currently leads the Office of Representation, Inclusion & Equity at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Read more here.
STOCKADE WORKS & WHITE FEATHER FARM
Stockade Works, founded in 2016 by actress, entrepreneur, producer and director Mary Stuart Masterson, is dedicated to furthering the potential of film, television, media and tech in the Hudson Valley through workforce development training programs for local residents. SW focus is on those typically barred from economic opportunities: women, minorities, veterans, under-employed, and displaced workers.
Founded in 2020, White Feather Farm Foundation is a sustainable farming and educational nonprofit center located in Saugerties, NY, on lands formerly belonging to the Mohican and Munsee Lenape people. As a farm and as a Foundation, White Feather is dedicated to the cultivation, regeneration, and nourishment of mind, body and spirit for all people. They aim to provide and create spaces that foster healing, growth, creativity, innovation, and diversity in our Ulster County community.