Introduction
In common parlance and liberal-positivist literature, the word “creativity” refers to inventiveness, originality, and innovation, all of which promise sensations of surprise. Being creative requires keeping up with current trends, originality, having an open mind, having computer skills, and knowing what is required. On the other hand, the narratives that distinct social groups tell about creativity are formed by the value systems that those communities hold. Thus, creativity is an aspect that is required overall by all individuals and helps in the growth of a state and social implications amongst people.
The output of creative industries is filled with many different activities and campaigns that aim to improve diversity and inclusion. These processes are crucial for creating a marketplace that reflects societal diversity and welcome participation from people of many racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Challenging negative stereotypes is necessary to promote fair representation and providing underrepresented groups with a forum in which to voice their perspectives may help us build a more compassionate and equal society. It will also contribute to the formation of an organization that is more compassionate and equal.
Diversity in Content
“Diversity in content” refers to tales and media that include varied characters and locations. It includes diversity in color, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and other disadvantaged traits. Diverse work has always been a problem in the creative industry, and it still is (Adukia et al., 2021). This problem perpetuates harmful preconceptions and reduces opportunities for underrepresented groups. Due to this, several projects have been launched to improve material variety.
Recently, film festivals have created specialized categories to highlight films by women and people of color. Television networks have also upped their commitment to diverse actors and themes. The initiatives have expanded media visibility for marginalized communities and produced nuanced, accurate portrayals of minority populations.
Likewise, the efforts have increased media coverage of underrepresented communities, explaining this conclusion. In the many years that have passed since then, those working in the creative sectors have developed a greater awareness of diversity in the content they generate. This change of viewpoint may have been brought on by a variety of unique occurrences or experiences that occurred in the past (United Nations, 2019).
By presenting several narratives and points of view from a variety of perspectives, storytelling forms such as television and theater have the potential to both disprove commonly held beliefs and cultivate feelings of empathy. Hence, making that happen is not an extremely remote possibility. As a direct result of this, several different activities and campaigns to extend the sphere of influence of the material have been launched.
Two tests are used in analyzing film portrayals, and they are important. The Bechdel Test is a test that analyzes how films portray women and was created by Alison Bechdel (Media-Studies, 2022), and the Glass Ceiling Test is the name of a different one (Babic & Hansez, 2021). For a film to be considered “passing the test,” it has to include at least two female characters who can be recognized and talk about things other than males.
The Bechdel Test has helped raise awareness about the underrepresentation of women in movies. It has generated talks about how to increase the amount of diversity in entertainment, even though it is not a failsafe predictor of diversity (Viswanathan, 2021). These are remarkable discoveries, and both of these products passed the tests that were given to them.
Another response to the lack of diversity at the Academy Awards was the hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite.” The hashtag campaign helps bring attention to an issue (news24). This campaign was developed because of the need for more diversity in the Academy Awards nominees. The commercial brought attention to the fact that there is an absence of people of color in the film industry, both on and behind the camera.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences altered the membership requirements and voting procedures to make the organization more diverse (Wilkinson, 2020). Therefore, these campaigns to increase diversity were needed. To widen the scope of the information, a significant number of additional actions have been taken. At several of this year’s film festivals, new categories have been created with the express purpose of showcasing films directed by women and people of color.
There has also been an increase in the amount of devotion shown by television networks toward the portrayal of varied individuals and the telling of tales (Screen Daily, 2016). As a consequence of these actions, there has been an increase in the quantity of media coverage of underrepresented groups and in nuanced and accurate depictions of those communities. Because of these initiatives, the representation of underrepresented community groups increased.
The phrase “diverse content” may refer to more than only the depiction of people of many racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as genders (Ali & Byrne, 2022). Put more emphasis on this point; those who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as those with disabilities or low incomes, are also included. Several organizations and initiatives are actively working toward the goal of diversifying a wide range of enterprises. The Ruderman Family Foundation has promoted more honest depictions of individuals with disabilities in media, such as cinema and television, as one of its primary goals (Ramos, 2020). Several organizations and efforts exist whose only mission is to broaden the demographic representation of those working in the aforementioned sectors.
Diversity in Production
Diversity in production refers to hiring people of numerous cultures for a variety of jobs behind the scenes. It is crucial to have a varied pool of personnel to serve as writers, directors, producers, and crew members (Stahl, 2022). Many staff pools can do this. Several efforts and campaigns have been launched to diversify output and make the creative industries more representative of society.
These efforts aim to make the creative industries more diverse. Underrepresented groups trying to join creative sectors have another obstacle: production diversity. This issue has lasted for many years. As a direct consequence, several companies and organizations have started expanding their production (Stahl, 2022).
A range of film schools and other film-related organizations, for example, make scholarship programs accessible to students who come from homes traditionally underrepresented in the film industry. Similar to this, several production businesses have trained their personnel on diversity and inclusion and set goals for hiring more diversely. These initiatives have created a more diverse and inclusive workplace where employees may grow and improve their careers.
It is crucial to remember that these two areas of concentration are not competing with one another in any way, shape, or form. In most cases, they are intertwined. If the manufacturing process does not offer enough variability, presentation diversity may be lacking. It is possible that those in charge of making creative decisions do not completely comprehend the difficulties faced by excluded people.
In a related line, if the consumer is not diversified, it is possible that the workforce is not diverse, too. The lack of diverse material may also contribute to the perpetuation of unfavorable opinions and restrict the production possibilities available to underrepresented groups. This idea is quite similar to the one before it.
“50/50 by 2020” aims to diversify content and creators by 2020. The name of the campaign originates from the phrase “50 percent by 2020.” Time’s Up seeks gender equality in the entertainment business by 2020. Women must have equal access to power in the film business. This encompasses acting, production, studio management, and film magazine criticism.
This campaign also promotes diverse and inclusive storytelling, highlighting marginalized voices. A large number of production companies and studios that have signed on to the 50/50 by 2020 campaign and implemented diversity and inclusion strategies show that the campaign has already had a significant impact on the industry. The campaign’s impact on its target industry proves this.
The Black Lives Matter campaign has also raised awareness of creative sector diversity. This is especially true with black voices and stories in media and entertainment. Improvements are possible in this area (Real & Samuels, 2020). To address this issue, some groups have launched programs to increase the number of black artists and creatives working in various fields.
For example, each year, the literary community in Hollywood prepares The Black List, a list of the unproduced books that have gained the greatest attention but have not yet been produced (Grobar, 2022). The successes of African-American screenwriters have been elevated to a higher level thanks, in significant part, to their inclusion on this list.
In a similar vein, the Blackhouse Foundation is a foundation that mentors and provides resources to young Black filmmakers and content creators. This expands their film and media prospects. Campaigns and actions that strive to improve inclusion and diversity in the creative industries have, for the most part, centered their attention on two primary areas: diversity in content and diversity in production because these two areas are most crucial to campaign and activity objectives.
Despite their importance, one is far more critical. Despite being connected, each has its own issues and requires a distinct approach. The Black Lives Matter movement and the 50/50 by 2020 initiative have helped highlight these issues and spur industry change. Black Lives Matter and 50/50 by 2020 are examples. These campaigns and initiatives have raised awareness of these issues; however, much work remains to be done to enhance their effectiveness.
Conclusion
The production aspect of the creative industries is home to several different initiatives and campaigns that support diversity and inclusion efforts. The next section will go through these campaigns. These procedures are essential to developing a market that is more representative of society and encourages participation from individuals with a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Combating unfavorable preconceptions and giving members of underrepresented groups a forum in which to air their concerns will help us build a society that is more compassionate and equal.
Reference list
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