Baftas without the Bullies... with Meriel Beale

This session is aimed at those starting their career in unscripted TV.

It will take you through how to work & have fun in a fun and fraught industry (no Baftas guaranteed at the end of this…)

• Insights into what to expect with team dynamics in such a creative, passionate industry
• Guidance on what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t
• How to work out if you or your colleagues are being bullied/harassed and what you can do about it if you are
• Advice on support, tactics and how to work with others to create a fair, empathetic and creative working environment

Speaker

Meriel Beale is a freelance producer who’s been in TV for 22 years, working her way up from a secretary booking meetings with Noel Edmonds and watching early Sacha Baron Cohen promos to an Exec producer in entertainment, comedy and factual. She has experience in every department from inventing new formats in development to shooting on location, and from live galleries to the edit.

Mainly working in comedy entertainment & entertainment, Meriel has made documentaries on Peter Cook, toured the UK on X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent and launched numerous shows, including Through the Keyhole with Keith Lemon and the BBC’s Big Painting Challenge. She has worked with everyone from Ant & Dec and Simon Cowell to Joe Lycett and Alison Hammond. In her spare time, she created Cheer Up Love, a series of events to bring together women in comedy, with speakers and panels including Meera Syal, Davina McCall, the Reverend Richard Coles and Dane Baptiste. 

Concerned about the state of bullying in the industry, Meriel has launched the campaign Unseen On Screen together with the TV Union Bectu, where she is now the anti-bullying officer. She believes it’s important to feel connected in this industry, and to know you have support and to be aware of your rights whatever stage you are in your career.

This event is supported by the ScreenSkills Television Skills Fund which invests in training for the freelance television workforce thanks to contributions from the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, and Channel 5.

It is part of a ScreenSkills programme managed by the Indie Training Fund to support freelancers to upskill and stay connected, helping keep the industry resilient in these difficult times.

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘get ticket’ to reserve your place: you must login or register before you are able to get a ticket for this event. A booking confirmation with a joining link to the session will be sent to you via email. 

If you are no longer able to use your ticket, we ask you to please contact support@screenskills.com  so that we can release your place. Our sessions are often oversubscribed, so we’d like to give other freelancers the opportunity to fill available spots. Thank you for your consideration.