Diversity and Inclusion

Here you will find our diversity targets and how we report on them, the resources we use to source diverse, professional talent and the schemes and initiatives we have in place to try and make the industry a more inclusive place to work.

Diversity Targets

Sky recognises that certain groups of people are underrepresented in the industry and has set the following targets to offer the business clear focus areas that can be measured and tracked.

Inclusion Guidance

Mission Statement

Sky’s ambition is to ensure that the TV industry’s next network of leaders truly reflects a diverse, modern Britain.

Our commitment to diversity does not stop with getting a foot in the door. We pledge to nurture and develop underrepresented talent by providing proper mentorship to ensure clear career progression and networking opportunities.

We will ensure that diverse talent is not only represented at a junior or mid-level but commit to meaningful industry change by guaranteeing that those at the most senior decision-making level come from all backgrounds.

We will adhere to a collaborative, not didactic approach. We aim to support and enable production companies to meet our targets, and we want to open a dialogue with the diverse talent currently working in TV. We will provide more cross-business discussion forums, encouraging a discursive approach to this subject which requires a long-term solution.

Resources for Sourcing Diverse Talent

To help resource diverse talent, there are many great organisations to help source and/or shortlist candidates based on our production needs, both on and off-screen – these are a few of the organisations.

DDPTV is a disabled-led organisation dedicated to elevating off-screen Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent talent within the TV industry.
TV Collective: networking resource that connects content creators of colour working across TV, Film and digital media.
Triple C/DANC: disabled-led organisation with a mission to drive up the role of deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent people in the arts & screen industries and the role of the arts & screen industries (contact to be included in their weekly newsletter).
All Spring Media: supporting growth and talent within the screen industries (we can connect you to their talent pool).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sky provide more finance to support diverse talent?

Initially, we would expect you to go to these resources first and try and make it work within your budget, but we are always willing to discuss with your production executive and commissioner.

Can Sky provide the details of diverse talent to productions?

Sky does not hold talent databases, and due to GDPR, we cannot share talent details of talent based on their protected characteristics. Sky does provide access to talent databases which you can find listed in this document, and have many others which we recommend to source diverse talent.

With a returning show, how can an existing and established team increase diversity without affecting the team?

We would expect you to be taking a long term view when crewing up and encourage you to look at the more junior roles from the previous series to see how diverse talent can step up for the series to come.

I’ve got a production shooting outside the UK, and I need to use a predominately local crew to maximise the tax incentive. How can I ensure I am still crewing diversely in a country where the population is less diverse than the UK?

We understand that this can be challenging. Post-production is an excellent area to look at when shooting abroad, as it is often done in the UK. We also have some examples of engaging with local film schools. There are also instances where we can see a commitment to the progression of diverse talent; we can look to support the travel and accommodation costs. Explore what the diversity is looking like in the area that you are shooting. What is the representation like in those communities, and how is that reflected in your crew.

How do we handle factual programming that is archive heavy or where we only have one onscreen talent?

Sky takes the view that we look at our slate of shows and the diversity that will come through onscreen when looking at factual programming. In those instances, we ensure that we push hard to drive the off-screen diversity.

When it is an authored piece, how can we manage diversity in those instances?

We would expect you to push for diversity in the room and look at other roles, such as script editors, to ensure a conscious effort to drive diversity.

In animated content, when the subject matters aren’t human, how do we ensure diversity?

Voice actors and off-screen talent should be the focus here.

Why do the targets not cover all underrepresented groups?

To keep everyone focused, we have initially focussed on a few goals that will help deliver at speed, build credibility and clear the path for the next big ambition.

Doing one thing brilliantly is nearly always more effective than trying to do many things at once and fosters a collaborative approach for everyone to learn, adapt and succeed.