Last year, I visited a TV-film set in London. It felt like I had walked out of one environment, the London I was surrounded by, into another, a place that was alien to me. I could not believe the whiteness of the set. I made three films in the States and it seems like nothing has really changed in the interim in Britain. The UK is so far behind in terms of representation, it’s shameful.
My first film production in the UK in 12 years is Small Axe, six films commissioned by the BBC about black experience from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s. We tried very hard on Small Axe: we created our own training scheme with one trainee per department. But, in terms of heads of departments, it was just myself and a couple of other people who were black British.
When we moved from London up to Wolverhampton to shoot two episodes, we had tax breaks, incentives, financial support, but the only BAME people were the drivers and one electrician. The stark reality is that there is no infrastructure to support and hire BAME crew. And there is no infrastructure because there hasn’t been enough will or urgency to put it in place. We really need to do much, much better.
The fundamental issue is that we need to fast track training and access for young talented kids, not just young talented white kids. We did our best on Small Axe, but it was not good enough. The culture of the industry has to change. It’s just not healthy. It’s wrong. And yet, many people in the industry go along with it as if it is normal. It’s not normal. It is anything but normal. It’s blindingly, obviously wrong. It’s blatant racism. Fact. I grew up with it. I know it. And not nearly enough is being done about it.
It is also about class in the British film and television industry, the British class system. The two issues overlap: race and class. It’s the Oxbridge thing and it’s throughout the media. Basically, if you want to examine race and class in this country, start by going on a film set.
I want to make it clear that I made Small Axe for the BBC because I love the BBC. My mum loves it. I’m grateful that they funded the series. I’m grateful that they listened to me and my colleagues. But, we need to see the creation of these initiatives to remedy the situation across the board in the UK. They need to be expedited right away.
I am curious to know how many people from BAME backgrounds worked on the crew for the recent BBC Windrush drama, Sitting In Limbo? But also, how many worked on the Harry Potter films? It’s not just about black people working on black films, it’s about black people working in film and television, period.
In terms of productions, we had Desmond’s back in the day, a really successful mainstream black sitcom. We’ve had Luther. They are some of the few exceptions. Where are the contemporary dramas about everyday black life?
Ultimately, British production companies, financiers and the US studios working here need to make a decision about what side of history they want to be on. They need to start reflecting the diversity of the UK, not just in front of the camera, but behind it. Every British production should have a quota in place for actors and crew. We need to put an infrastructure in place where people from the BAME community, who make up around 14% of the population, have access to jobs, have access to training and apprenticeship schemes and can further their careers.
What I am saying is that the whole culture of the industry has to change. It’s long overdue. Yes, I’m fed up. I don’t want to hear anyone say, “Oh yes, It’s terrible” ever again. I’ve heard it a thousand times. They all agree, but nothing gets done. What I want is to see change, not hear excuses. I’m just totally exasperated about the historical lack of effort. Now is the time for real change.
The artist and film director Steve McQueen has won two Baftas and is the first black director to win an Oscar for best film, for 12 Years a Slave. He will make his television debut in November with Small Axe, a series of six films made for the BBC about black British experience.
As told to Sean O’Hagan
