This time, it was personal...After 15 years making telly — some of it good, some of it just paying the bills — The Experiment on Channel 4 is one of the rare projects I'm genuinely proud to have made (sorry/not sorry to anyone I worked with before - but this one was... Read more
This time, it was personal...
After 15 years making telly — some of it good, some of it just paying the bills — The Experiment on Channel 4 is one of the rare projects I'm genuinely proud to have made (sorry/not sorry to anyone I worked with before - but this one was personal...).
As someone with a disabling condition, the political is deeply personal.
I joined as Casting Producer, finding our extraordinary cast of disabled actors, before stepping into a wider Senior Producer role.
The programme explored unconscious bias and how easily we can be persuaded to see disabled people as somehow less valuable. How quickly 'us' and 'them' becomes accepted thinking — and how that thinking can be used to justify taking away support.
But who gets to decide what my value is?
"We are not a burden to be managed. And our worth is not determined by how we work."
As the government considers further changes to disability benefits, I wish we'd focus less on what disabled people can't do and more on allowing them to show what they can. Provide access, flexibility and support, and you might be surprised by just how much 'value' we bring.
What made this production even more special was the team behind it. Kalel Productions brought together mothers, disabled people and others whose circumstances this industry too often sees as obstacles.
And we flourished.
Our Executive Producer (who hides in the shadows but I hope he sees this) was one of the most understanding and supportive people I've ever worked with. Instead of focusing on what we couldn't do, the team found ways for us to do what we did best. That approach wasn't just good for us — it was fundamental to making the programme.
When you remove barriers, you don't lower standards. You give talented people the opportunity to meet them.
Huge thanks to our exceptional cast, Mat Fraser, Sophie Morgan, the brilliant team at Kalel Productions and Channel 4 for having the courage to make it.
The language we use about disabled people matters. And so does the way we treat them.
The Experiment is available to watch on Channel 4. @Kalel Productions
After 15 years making telly — some of it good, some of it just paying the bills — The Experiment on Channel 4 is one of the rare projects I'm genuinely proud to have made (sorry/not sorry to anyone I worked with before - but this one was personal...).
As someone with a disabling condition, the political is deeply personal.
I joined as Casting Producer, finding our extraordinary cast of disabled actors, before stepping into a wider Senior Producer role.
The programme explored unconscious bias and how easily we can be persuaded to see disabled people as somehow less valuable. How quickly 'us' and 'them' becomes accepted thinking — and how that thinking can be used to justify taking away support.
But who gets to decide what my value is?
"We are not a burden to be managed. And our worth is not determined by how we work."
As the government considers further changes to disability benefits, I wish we'd focus less on what disabled people can't do and more on allowing them to show what they can. Provide access, flexibility and support, and you might be surprised by just how much 'value' we bring.
What made this production even more special was the team behind it. Kalel Productions brought together mothers, disabled people and others whose circumstances this industry too often sees as obstacles.
And we flourished.
Our Executive Producer (who hides in the shadows but I hope he sees this) was one of the most understanding and supportive people I've ever worked with. Instead of focusing on what we couldn't do, the team found ways for us to do what we did best. That approach wasn't just good for us — it was fundamental to making the programme.
When you remove barriers, you don't lower standards. You give talented people the opportunity to meet them.
Huge thanks to our exceptional cast, Mat Fraser, Sophie Morgan, the brilliant team at Kalel Productions and Channel 4 for having the courage to make it.
The language we use about disabled people matters. And so does the way we treat them.
The Experiment is available to watch on Channel 4. @Kalel Productions
