Shondaland and Netflix Expand DEIA Programs To Bring Successful Ladder Program to the US With 'The Residence' and Launch Second Cohort of the Producers Inclusion Initiative

27/04/2023

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Shondaland and Netflix Expand DEIA Programs To Bring Successful Ladder Program to the US With The Residence and Launch Second Cohort of the Producers Inclusion Initiative

Netflix Staff

Social Impact

27 April 2023

Global

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Shondaland and Netflix announced today the next iteration of their joint Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) programs, The Ladder and The Producers Inclusion Initiative.

The Ladder program, which was specifically designed to provide an opportunity for individuals from underrepresented groups to gain onset experience and training, will launch its first cohort in the United States this spring. After piloting a model for this program on Bridgerton Season 2, Shondaland and Netflix rolled out the inaugural cohort of The Ladder on the set of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story in the United Kingdom. Through this program, six trainees received mentoring and coaching through hands-on training in the Assistant Directing, Sound, Camera, Props, Locations and Video departments. All six trainees who were placed on Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story were hired onto other productions upon graduating from the program. The success of the program allowed for a total of 15 trainees to be placed on Bridgerton Season 3.

With the support of IATSE, Shondaland and Netflix will roll out The Ladder on the upcoming Shondaland and Netflix series, The Residence here in the US. This round of the program will place 13 trainees in production and technical roles across multiple departments, including Hair, Makeup, Camera, Electric, Art, Construction and more. These participants will receive hands-on experience monitored by their Heads of Departments who will be able to also give them regular feedback along with Shondaland and Netflix's production and human resources. After completing the program, trainees will also be eligible for future employment consideration on Shondaland and Netflix productions.

Additionally, Shondaland and Netflix are launching the second cohort for The Producers Inclusion Initiative, a program that trains Indie Producers, Unit Production Managers, Supervisors, and First Assistant Directors from historically underrepresented communities as Line Producers within the studio system. Over nine weeks, the cohort will learn from in-house executives and key production department heads from both companies as well as other industry leaders. Upon completion of the program, graduates will connect with production executives at Netflix, Shondaland, and other industry affiliates to explore potential employment and/or additional career development opportunities. The creatives selected for the 2023 Producers Inclusion Initiative are: Alan Chu, Alicia Daniels, Chineza Lynn Ezinkwo, Jason Hightower, LaTrisa LJ' Jackson, Lisa Zugschwerdt, Mike Walker, Nina Hodge, Tamanna Shah, Taylor Williams and Vanessa Goodwin.

The 2022 Producers Inclusion Initiative has already helped create opportunities for the inaugural cohort. Upon completion of the program, three participants were signed to major agencies, one of the graduates is now supervising on a higher budgeted project than their previous job, and one was hired to line produce a studio feature. All members of the cohort were left with newfound confidence in their ability to line produce and will take this experience onto other jobs within the industry.

Shondaland has always been committed to finding and investing in an inclusive pool of talent both in front of and behind the camera. Our partnership with Netflix has allowed us to continue this journey to true equity on a global scale. - Shonda Rhimes

"The results from our inaugural pipeline programs clearly show that investing in training and opening up access to our productions is creating impact and resulting in meaningful career opportunities for underrepresented talent. We are thrilled to continue this important work with Shonda and our partners at Shondaland. - Bela Bajaria, Netflix Chief Content Officer.

These unprecedented opportunities continue the Shondaland legacy of championing underrepresented voices both in front of and behind the camera and is supported in part by Netflix's Fund for Creative Equity, which shares in the company's goal.

About Shondaland

Shondaland is the global media company founded by award-winning writer and producer Shonda Rhimes. The company creates content that fearlessly challenges and entertains audiences. Shondaland has an exclusive partnership with Netflix where it produces streaming content for the media company, including record-breaking series Bridgerton, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, Inventing Anna ,the upcoming series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story and The Residence . In recent years the company has expanded to produce content beyond television and streaming. In 2017, Shondaland launched the editorial website Shondaland.com. In partnership with Hearst Digital Media, the website features empowering and inspirational stories as well as first person essays and culture coverage. In 2019, Shondaland Audio was created in partnership with iHeart Radio. Comprised of both scripted and unscripted content, Shondaland Audio is the home for entertaining, inclusive and informative podcasts. Shondaland was launched in 2005 with the groundbreaking series Grey's Anatomy.

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the worlds leading entertainment services with 233 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

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Shondaland and Netflix Expand DEIA Programs To Bring Successful Ladder Program to the US With 'The Residence' and Launch Second Cohort of the Producers Inclusion Initiative

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