In this article we hear from Dr Leanne Dawson, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Edinburgh, about the ways in which cinemas and film festivals can be more accessible and welcoming for people who are working-class and/or in poverty.
Inclusive Cinema’s podcast series, Working Class Inclusion: Audiences, Colleagues & Programming, provides information and guidance to support exhibitors in improving cinema experiences for working-class people and those in poverty.
The resource comprises a series of six podcast episodes that cover a range of areas, from sliding-scale ticketing and equitable employment practices, to the films that are programmed and how they are presented.
There is also an access and inclusion checklist to support venues, festivals, industry initiatives and event organisers with strategic and operational measures to welcome working-class audiences and colleagues.
The series is presented by Dr. Leanne Dawson, senior lecturer in Film and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant.
The resources are intended as a practical guide to support cinemas, festivals and film exhibitors to welcome working class people as audiences and staff to their venues and increase access to independent cinema for all.
Working through these 6 short podcasts we hope you can find ideas and understanding of barriers for working class people, with a view to increasing access in cinemas, and offer a chance to reflect on where your venue is currently at.
Click on each link to listen to all 6 podcasts
You can download the transcript for each episode from the downloads section.
This introductory episode explores some issues with working class inclusion such as how we define class and that the term ‘working-class’ groups many different experiences together.
What to reflect on your organisation and how it can take small, cost-free measures to improve it’s welcome to working class people.
What to reflect on whilst working on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion EDI) in your organisation.
Consider the barriers you create that prevent people entering and/or enjoying your space or event.
How to include a spectrum of working class representation onscreen.
How to ensure you have working class employees at all levels of the organisation.
You can listen to all six podcast episodes of Working Class Inclusion: Audiences, Colleagues & Programming here:
Coming soon to:
We have provided a checklist of measures as suggested in the podcasts to provide your staff and venue with an easy point of reference when considering inclusion of working-class people in your work.
You can find this in the downloads section on this page.
We have provided a list of film suggestions which can be used for ideas and inspiration for film programmers when considering working-class representation in cinema. We’ll be updating this with distributor/access materials information as this comes in (until the end of March 2023).
You can find this in the downloads section on this page.
Calm with Horses is a film which features Jack, a five-year-old autistic boy, and his parents, Niamh and Arm. As part of the production process, our autistic Campaigns Officer George Stanbury, was one of our staff to provide input to make Jack’s experiences as realistic and reflective of the challenges autistic people may face. Here, … More
In 2019, This Way Up took to Nottingham for the event’s sixth edition, which kicked off with opening sessions reflecting the key themes of the overall conference: Celebration, Resilience and The Future.
The conference featured more talks around inclusion than ever before, and we at Inclusive Cinema captured four of our favourite talks so those who couldn’t make the event could still get the benefit of case studies and insights shared.
The talks below are provided by the following speakers:
Rabab Ghazoul, the Founder & Director of Welsh cultural organisation platform Gentle/Radical, shared her vision of what the future of working with audiences could be. What does ‘outreach’ look like now, and what could it become?
Karena Johnson, Artistic Director and CEO, Hoxton Hall, shared her experience of re-launching Hoxton Hall, a Victorian music hall, and tackling the sometimes uncomfortable issue of diversity. She led a workshop session where delegates were invited to explore their own approach. She spoke about shifting organisational culture, bringing a team with you on a journey and how to manage expectations.
Rico Johnson-Sinclair, Director and Programmer of CineQ Birmingham discussed campaigning for queer, trans, and intersex people of colour’s stories on screen and how he reaches audiences.
Nikki Stratton, Co-Founder & Director, Deaffest looked at the best ways to market to D/deaf audiences. Catherine Downes (Co-Founder, usheru) discussed their work aiming to reach those that start the ticket-buying process but don’t complete the all-important checkout process. With tips and tricks to maximise the potential of your marketing output.
Opening Our Doors was a day of workshops and talks developed by Film Hub Wales, aimed at highlighting inclusivity and equality in film exhibition. The event was aimed at exhibitors seeking to capacity build within their own cinemas. It was a tailor-made day of workshops, case studies and discussions by experts and FAN members for FAN members aimed to boost exhibitor confidence in being more inclusive.
Working closely with Film Hub Scotland, and forming part of their Amplify programme, an Opening our Doors day was delivered in January 2019 to support members of the network in understanding and engaging with diverse communities including low-income, BAME, and disabled groups. The event also referenced programming, and marketing for diverse audiences.
The BFI diversity standards task exhibitors with supporting better inclusion in cinema, such as inclusion for those with additional needs and for those who might feel culturally excluded.
Many of us know about the barriers that are in front of us when we talk about building diverse audiences. We don’t really get the time to consider and talk about our options, our fears, talk to our peers and come up with solutions to improve what we offer.
In this article the author breaks down data about visits to institutions by people from different socio-economic class for us to understand how to make venues more accessible.
In this article Dave O’Brien looks at how to tackle class discrimination in the creative industries.
The social class of cinema audiences is a subject that is not widely discussed. This piece explores exit polls from cinema showings, and talks about the implications of this work.
The 1963 arrival of Billy Liar looked like the beginnings of a more democratic, working-class film industry. So why are we still stuck with polite social realism and sniggery classism?
Just under a third of people in Britain are excluded from mainstream society because they cannot afford to join in cultural activities such as going to the cinema, taking a holiday or buying consumer goods.
