Campaigns and Solidarity - Details
Gender Portrayal Project Conference in London
This conference took place in the Drill Hall in London on the 15-16 September 2008. This page is intended as a follow-up page which will continue to allow access to the resources emerging form that event.
The conference was a key element of the EuroFIA project "“Changing gender portrayal: Promoting employment opportunities for women in the performing arts”. It was centred around the presentation of the findings of the project research and sought more generally to raise awareness on the relationship between gender portrayal and employment opportunities for performers and to highlight effective and innovative ways to promote equal opportunities.http://www.fia-actors.com/en/projects.html
It was a very sucessful event and was attended by some 120 participants from all over Europe. There was a rich variety of contributions from the various speakers, which ranged over the different elements that contribute to this problem: societal values and the gender stereotypes that inform and reflect them; a fear of risk in an industry that may often be financially straitened; and a failure to recognise the discrimination for what it is. Possible solutions, political, legislative and financial, were also discussed and many ideas emerged from the breakout sessions. The strong testimonies from performers and the artistic contribution of Swedish theatre group Subfrau greatly enriched the day and a half's proceedings.
A preliminary overview of the key findings of the project research were also presented at the conference in London They were compelling and a lively debate followed on from that presentation. The research has since been completed and the final report "Age Gender and Performer Employment in Europe" is available for download in the Publications sections
In meantime, at the request of the participants, the text of the speakers' contributions will be made available on this page. They will be added on an ongoing basis as we receive them. The list is not yet complete, so watch this space! They are listed below in the order in which they appeared on the programme.
This project is supported by the European Commission
Speech of Tomas Bolme, FIA President
Speech of Christine Payne, General Secretary of Equity UK
Speech of Carol Tongue, Chair of the UK Coalition for Cultural Diversity
Presentation of Dr Deborah Dean, Project researcher
Gender Agenda - Speeches Continued I
Speech of Anna Carlson, President of the Swedish Actors' Union
Presentation of Dearbhal Murphy, FIA Deputy General Secretary
Speech of Treasa Ni Mhurchu, National Women's Council of Ireland
Speech of Rynagh O'Grady, Actress, Ireland
Speech of Camilia Blereau, Actress, Belgium
Gender Agenda - Speeches Continued II
Speech of Kate Buffery, Actress UK
Speech of Pauline Moran, Actress UK
Speech of Luk de Konink, Actor and former Casting Director Belgium
