Race Equity in Nature Filmmaking & Creative Sector 2024

Do you work within the nature, wildlife and environmental filmmaking or another creative sector? Do you want to elevate your journey as a filmmaker or creative professsional? And at the same time, hopefully reach thousands if not hundreds of thousands more young British viewers?

Do you want to hear new ideas and best practice from other sectors and parts of the wider environmental sector? Come ready to have your eyes opened. This conference is suitable for those who work within a wide range of creative and envionmental secters. We will also discuss the hard work the sector has been doing to increase the ethnic diversity within their sector in the UK, with internship programmes and other projects.

The Conference is organised by Black2Nature and its Founder and President, Mya-Rose Craig AKA Birdgirl. Mya-Rose is a 22 years old British Bangladeshi environmentalist who, has been campaigning for 9 years to make the entire nature conservation and environmental sector more ethnically diverse. Diversity within the sector is needed as the first step to it being able make nature relevant to everyone. This is needed so that YOU can engage Visible Minority Ethnic young people from inner city and deprived areas. Mya-Rose and Black2Nature does this by taking young people from the Bristol, London and Cardiff areas into the countryside for nature days out and camps.

Mya-Rose has been able to engage every child and teenager who has attended a camp with nature, being moved witnessing the moment they engage for the first time. You can too?

This conference is in conjunction with Bristol University and their Brigstow Institute which is a hub of innovative creative research, pioneering collaborative investigations and nurturing vibrant research communities. Brigstow empowers academics, creatives, professionals, charities, and community members to transform their ideas into tangible outcomes and meaningful impacts, to make a significant difference in the world.

This conference follows on from Mya-Rose Craig and her charity Black2Nature's successful Race Equality in Nature conferences of 2016 and 2019. A further Race Equity in Nature Conference is planned for the 9th October 2024.

Ethnic Diversity - why is it relevant you?

The lack of engagement of Visible Minority Ethnic, inner-city, young people with nature is significantly contributed by the lack of engagement of nature TV. As a result, these groups experience the following negative impacts:

Negative impacts on their physical and mental health which is a crucial issue for Visible Minority Ethnic young people who suffer much high instances and the more severe impact of mental illness;

Reduced educational attainment caused by a lack of confidence, living in areas of deprivation with high numbers of pupil premium, experiencing a large attainment gap, making it difficult to enter competitive sectors such as filmmaking and the creative sectors; and

A failure to engage with the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental campaiging;

As filmmakers, you can choose to make films that connect and engaged Visible Minority Ethnic teenagers with nature and environmental issues, which will also be an advantage with television commissioners.

How can you make nature relevant?

At one of my Black2Nature nature camps, we had a group of 15 year old inner city boys who attended a camp after exams. We were listening for Nightjars on the Mendips when one of them pointed up and asked what "that" was. When I told them it was Jupiter, they could not believe they could see the rings and that you could.actually see the planets from Earth. We spent the next few hours looking at the stars and planets at the campsite, with them being totally enthralled. Imagine your film having that impact on not 6 teens but 60,000 or even 600,000?

The photo below are of two of the boys with me just after letting a bird go for the first time. Wouldn't you want to see that response to one of your films?

Tickets

Tickets prices are as follows:

£65.00 - For those working in the environmental and wildlife filmmaking sector as as well as other relevant sectors

£35.00 - For those unwaged, self-employed on lower incomes or working for organisation with income less than £100,000

Free - Students, teaching staff from Bristol Universityor those who who can not afford to pay for a ticket.

Please make a bank transfer to account Black2Nature (with your name as reference), 60-05-22, Account No 20107455 or by PayPal (account [email protected]). Please message if you need an invoice.

Speakers

Gillian Burke, Naturalist, Springwatch TV Presenter & Activist

Chris Packham, Naturalist, Springwatch TV Presenter & Activist (online)

Dwayne Fields, Explorer, Naturalist , TV Presenter & Activist (online)

Dr Somina "Mena" Fombo, Director and Producer & Founder Blak Wave Productions

Michael Jenkins, Director and Producer & Founder Blak Wave Productions

Professor Pallie Smart, University of Bristol, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor Global Civic Engagement

Tyrone Scott, Senior Movement Building & Activism Officer, Global Green New Deal,

War on Want | Fighting global poverty

Euella Jackson, Award Winning Filmmaker

Peter Venn, UWE Masters in Wildlife Filmmaking

Ruth Peacey, Nature Filmmaker & Producer

Camilla Chiverton, Head of Talent, Plimsoll Productions

Ghislain Pascal, Head of Trading, PR & Fundraising, Survival International (online)

Dr Mya-Rose Craig D.Sc. h.c. , Enviironmental and Ethnic Diversity Activist

Leanna Fernandez, ex student UWE Masters in Wildlife Filmmaking

Lunch & Refreshments

A vegan lunch will be provided. Please let us know if you have any questions around this or any other dietary requirements. Tea and coffee will be provided at the start of the day, mid-morning and afternoon and over lunch. Tap water and glasses will be available.

What we will cover

The day will cover a discussion about what is being done to make the nature, wildlife and environmental filmmaking sector and the practical steps and ideas for improvement that can be tried. Please come and be part of the solution.

Who should attend

It is hoped that attendees will include (but not limited to):

Senior managers from the nature, wildlife & envionmental filmmaking sector

Senior managers from the BBC (inc Natural History Unit), Nat Geo, Channel Four & ITV

Representation from filmmaking teams and HR teams;

Visible Minority Ethnic filmmakers, naturalists and environmentalists;

Young filmmakers, naturalists and environmentalists;

Those from the creative industries.

Conservationists and Environmentalists;

Those who want to learn about decolonising nature conservation;

Policymakers;

Nature media;

Groups working with Visible Minority and Faith communities;

Schools

Wildlife publishers as well as other interested organisations.

Visible Minority Ethnic people working in any type of filmmakers

Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Girl Guides and Scouts and other interested organisations.

Social Media

We will be posting through the day. It would be fantastic if you could also share the day using the hashtag #raceequityinnaturefilmmaking. Please, can you follow and tag Mya-Rose Craig;

Please, can you follow and tag Mya-Rose Craig; Instagram @Birdgirluk; Twitter @BirdgirlUK, FB myarosebirdgirlcraig and LinkedIn Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig. Please also follow and Black2Nature Instagram officialblack2nature; Twitter @officialb2n; Facebook officialb2n, LinkedIn @Black2Nature.

Photographs and video

We will be taking photographs and videos throughout the day for social media and publicity material. Permission will be sought from you during the booking process. If you do not wish to be in images, please note that you may be asked to move to a seat at the back of the room.

Sponsors

Thank you to Bristol University for providing a venue and sponsoring the event and The Tenacity Award for awarding Dr Mya-Rose Craig funding towards the conference. We are keen to obtain sponsorship including to fund spaces for young people and to cover the costs of a drinks reception.

Host or Publisher Mya-Rose Craig AKA Birdgirl