In the latest episode of Now, Then, Ten, by Facebook and Founders Forum, co-host Brent Hoberman talks to June Sarpong OBE, the BBC’s first Director of Creative Diversity.
With a wealth of broadcasting experience which has seen her interview everyone from Nelson Mandela to the Spice Girls, June has now turned her attention to influencing the diversity of content behind the mic and proud to be spearheading real change.
On the podcast, June discusses the work she’s doing to make the public broadcaster a community that represents everyone and the role diverse thinking plays in pushing creative boundaries: “No one group has a monopoly on creativity […] Wherever creativity can be found, it’s our job to nurture, develop, and harness that talent. What are the stories that haven’t been told that should be told, and how can we make the BBC a place for those stories?”
June shares why she was attracted to the new BBC role and how the Corporation is championing diverse communities with their ‘gold standard’ strategy over the next three years.
Having experienced discrimination herself as a young presenter, June is passionate about opening the door for “people who have been locked out” and gives the example of how the BBC production ‘I May Destroy You’ brought a fresh narrative to audiences: “The wonderful thing about the character is you saw her whole life, and you saw the whole life of a character like hers that perhaps we haven’t seen depicted on British television. The exciting thing is we’re now giving writers and directors, the opportunity to delve into the lives of people that we haven’t seen enough of on British TV,” She says.
Now, Then, Ten is available on Apple, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
