Having launched in 2020, ITV has announced its Diversity Acceleration Plan report for 2023, detailing the company-wide progress made. ITV’s Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy is to create and showcase content by, with and for everyone, connecting and reflecting modern audiences.
We are pleased to share this annual Diversity Acceleration Plan report highlighting the progress we’ve made. In three years, we have made some significant improvements at ITV, on and off-screen and within our own workforce. Yet the sector faces some broader challenges and for many in the industry, this past year has been a difficult one.Ade Rawcliffe, Group Director of Diversity & Inclusion ITV
Both as a company and as a workforce, ITV has focused its efforts on mainstream content, creating opportunities, inclusive culture, and accessibility and disability equity, achieving the following key milestones:
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Invested £54.2 million of our Diversity Commissioning Fund and £392k of our Diversity Development Fund from 2022-23
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21 up-and-coming diverse writers took part in writers’ initiatives
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In the last three years, 475 productions across around 160 production companies have embedded DEI using ITV’s production principles - created in 2021 to embed DEI practices in every programme ITV commissions
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185 diverse creatives stepped up into more senior production roles over the past three years, since the Step Up 60 programme launched
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11 Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent colleagues took part in Amplify, our senior leadership programme
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Colleague networks continue to grow, reaching over 3,000 members
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Our first line manager survey showed that 85% of colleagues agree that their managers build an inclusive team environment
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ITV is an active member of the TV Access Project (TAP) and as part of this initiative, ITV Studios hired our first in-house Access Coordinator
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ITV launched the ITV Academy which opened doors and offered career paths for people from diverse backgrounds
Over the last three years, we have improved representation towards all of our target areas at the all colleagues level. At senior levels, we have made improvements overall. We strengthened our focus on senior representation, particularly for Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent colleagues and People of Colour.
As a broadcaster, streamer, and global producer, ITV has a unique opportunity to shape culture for good. Diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to our work at ITV. We aim to create and showcase content by, with and for everyone...I’m encouraged by the improvements I’ve seen over the last three years, and we still have much work to do. We will continue to drive change and improve experiences for our colleagues, audiences, and the wider industry.”Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive Officer ITV
What's Next
For 2024 and beyond, ITV commits to maintaining and building on our DEI successes seeking out more diverse ideas, production companies and talent, and we will continue to collaborate across the industry, with partners including the TV Access Project and The TV Collective to drive systemic change. We will address antisemitism and Islamophobia through education and training, supporting the Film and TV Charity’s cross-industry work in this area.
At ITV, we will continue to use the Diversity Commissioning Fund and Development Fund in 2024 to drive change in our mainstream content, focussing on increasing Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent leads. We will create more opportunities, expanding our pipeline of diverse talent. And we will train and upskill all colleagues through our new mandatory global DEI training. After a successful pilot, we will offer additional tools to support colleagues, including senior leaders and managers outside of the UK.
We look forward to collaborating further across our organisation and the industry to change ITV for the better.
We will continue to work hard to protect and build on our progress.This year, we’ve continued to focus on long-term change. Highlights include investing £54.2 million of our Diversity Commissioning Fund from 2022-23, collaborating through the cross-industry TV Access Project to improve accessibility, and creating a pipeline of diverse writers and talent. Moving forward, we’re cementing and building on our work so far. As our communities, cultures and contexts continue to evolve, so must we. We will push further to achieve sustainable impact at ITV and across society.”Ade Rawcliffe, Group Director of Diversity & Inclusion ITV
