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5 months ago
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Stars including Keira Knightley, Emerald Fennell and Gemma Chan have called for extra funding so that the UK’s new bullying and harassment reporting body for the film and TV industries can launch on time.
The trio are three of 25 to have signed an open letter to the creative industries seeking a “final commitment to the creation of the CIISA, the new independent standards authority designed to keep our creative industries safe and to secure your support to this essential part of the ecosystem that is currently missing.”
Others to have signed include Cara Delevingne, Carey Mulligan, Rebecca Ferguson and Naomie Harris. The letter with signatories can be found below.
The body was first mooted three years ago in the wake of the Noel Clarke allegations, which he denies, by Time’s Up UK, but funds have been slow to come by. CIISA has said that it will only be able to launch at the end of this year, its target date, if it receives more from the broadcasters and lead bodies in theater music and film. All British broadcasters and Sky have already donated.
CIISA’s prospectus indicates that running costs would be around £1.5M ($1.9M) in its first year, rising to just more than £2M the following one.
Today’s letter said: “So many of us in this industry would have loved to have an objective outside body that we could go to for advice, for mediation and in the very extreme circumstances, that we might need some outside body to hold people accountable for the bad behaviour or bad practices that sometimes happen on our sets, on our stages, behind the scenes.”
It added: “CIISA recognises that not everything can be solved with just one intervention but as bullying and harassment claims in the industry continue abound, we believe it is a very necessary part of a range of interventions driving for much-needed change.”
Time’s Up UK, which is overseeing CIISA and is backed by the UK government, is led by chair Heather Rabbatts.
The letter in full
Dear Creative Industries,
We are calling on you to make your final commitment to the creation of CIISA, the new independent standards authority designed to keep our creative industries safe and to secure your support to this essential part of the ecosystem that is currently missing. The full financial ask is now out, and so we ask you finally to turn this idea into reality.
So many of us in this industry would have loved to have an objective outside body that we could go to for advice, for mediation and in the very extreme circumstances, that we might need some outside body to hold people accountable for the bad behaviour or bad practices that sometimes happen on our sets, on our stages, behind the scenes. And we are far from being alone in recognising this need. A recent survey conducted on behalf of CIISA by PA Consulting of creative industry professionals from film, TV, music and theatre revealed that 91% are strongly in favour of CIISA further underlining its importance. This is why a single place of accountability where people can seek help, mediation, dispute resolution advice and other services is essential.
Please support CIISA. This issue needs to be tackled by everyone working together. We need and it will become the blueprint across the globe for keeping our creative industries safe.
CIISA recognises that not everything can be solved with just one intervention but as bullying and harassment claims in the industry continue abound, we believe it is a very necessary part of a range of interventions driving for much-needed change.
CIISA will not duplicate existing policies and procedures that some of you may already have in place, rather it will address gaps in provision.
We want to thank those organisations that have already taken the bold step to make the final financial commitment, and we urge those that have yet to do so, to join us so that we can turn CIISA into a reality.
Placing your belief in CIISA is testament to your commitment to safeguarding our talented workforce and we look forward to hearing from you.
Signed,
