Drama impacts us on an emotional level. It enables us to walk in the shoes of another person and understand their reality in a way factual programmes do not — Sir Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder MBE, Access All Areas: The Diversity Manifesto for TV and Beyond
Counterpoints Arts invites TV/film creators and producers, storytellers, funders and narrative change makers to join us in this intimate online networking event to explore opportunities to create change within the UK entertainment sector.
The PopChange Salon Series — presented by Counterpoints Arts’ Popchange initiative — are curated exchanges with change makers, storytellers and the entertainment industry to explore opportunities for harnessing pop culture for real social change. Hosted by K Biswas (The Race Beat), and building from the recent New Brave World report (Sachrajda & Zukowska, 2021), the Salon Series focuses on areas with momentum for narrative change in the UK — TV/film, gaming and comedy — with particular reference to themes of racial justice, migration and displacement.
The third in the series — Bringing Lived Experience into TV and Film — highlights inspiring case studies from US and UK content producers making impact in commercial TV/film, particularly around migrant and refugee narratives. We ask: how does lived experience get into the writer’s room? How best to nurture emerging talent from non-traditional routes? How do we make entertainment, not just with, but by and led from life experience?
In Conversation:
- Anu Henriques, Associate Director on the film Rocks — an award-winning film produced with and featuring young people in London — and helped set up We Are Bridge — offering aftercare and legacy support for new, emerging talent.
- Hassan Akkad, Consultant to Channel 4’s Home — a comedy centring a Syrian refugee — Netflix’s upcoming ‘The Swimmers’ and Obama’s Higher Ground production of Exit West featuring Riz Ahmed. He is Co-Director to Netflix’s Convergence: Courage in a Crisis.
- Kausar Mohammed, Lead actor in Break The Room/Paul Feig’s dramedy, East of La Brea, and The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night (dir. Fawzia Mirza). She is co-founder of SHIFT, a racial and gender justice consulting group.
- Sameer Gardezi, Award-winning comedy writer and Executive Producer of East of La Brea — a scripted comedy about two Muslim American friends, produced as part of Break the Room Media — an innovative writer’s room incubator he co-founded.
Moderated by Suchandrika Chakrabarti, broadcaster, comedian and co-host of the comedy criticism podcast ‘But Is It Funny?’ podcast.
Event hosted by K Biswas (Biz), cultural critic and Founder, The Race Beat.
If you are interested in joining the discussion, please register your interest below (you can register directly on the form here and any problems please email marcia@counterpointsarts.org.uk):
Recommended background reading
— New Brave World a 2021 report by Alice Sachrajda and Marzena Zukowska that explores the power, opportunities and potential of pop culture for social change in the UK. The report is supported by Unbound Philanthropy and builds on Riding the Waves, a scoping study on the same theme published in 2017.
Joining us on AirMeet
We’re thrilled to be welcoming such an exciting range of participants and speakers, and invite you to join us in using the Airmeet platform to make new connections during the networking sessions.
Airmeet is best experienced on a Chrome browser (version 79 or higher), on a laptop or a desktop. You can download the latest version here.
Filming
Some sections of the programme will be recorded, but only participants who choose to go ‘on stage’ will be visible. Presentations by speakers (but not the Q&A and networking parts of the event) will be filmed and shared online.
Social media
We’d love you to join the conversation online using the hashtag #popxchange or via Counterpoints Arts’ social media channels: Twitter // Instagram // Facebook
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The PopChange Salon Series — presented by Counterpoints Arts’ Popchange initiative — are curated exchanges with change makers, storytellers and the entertainment industry to explore opportunities for harnessing pop culture for real social change. Hosted by K Biswas (The Race Beat), and building from the recent New Brave World report (Sachrajda & Zukowska, 2021), the Salon Series focuses on areas with momentum for narrative change in the UK — TV/film, gaming and comedy — with particular reference to themes of racial justice, migration and displacement. To be updated of future Salons in the series, sign up to our mailing list.
Watch the Rocks trailer (Altitude Films)
Watch Home trailer (Channel 4)
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