If you aren’t feeling seen on screen at the moment and feel as though not much is being done to champion more diversity on our screens then you might be interested to learn that there is currently a GoFundMe campaign raising cash for a project that seeks to help BAME people get their talent recognised on screen and behind the scenes. We caught up with this team, led by Verona Rose, to find out more about their campaign and the show they plan to make, called Treatment…
Funny Women: What inspired you to run a crowdfunding campaign calling for more rounded black female characters on our screens?
Treatment Team: We are a diverse group of female and male-identifying people of colour, who share the aspirations of working professionally within the creative industry. Some of us have more experience than others, although none of us feel we are in a position (like most creatives) to give up the day job. Initially the plan was to take this project to commissioners at BBC and Channel 4, before teaming up with a production company to continue developing and to eventually bring our idea to life.
The creator of the show, Verona Rose, had just finished working in Cyprus on a very exciting indie show called Tuesday Afternoon Kitchen with her friends Dan Summers (writer and creator of TAK) and Dean Kilbey, when they got talking about Verona’s idea for Treatment. Dan informed Verona of the many paths one can take to produce and create their own shows; as he does. One way was to get funding from funding bodies and crowdfunding. Verona informed writers Anneka Gouldbourne and Alice Fofana of the conversation and we all agreed that we would try it out.
FW: Tell us about the show you are funding, Treatment.
TT: The show Treatment is centred around Aisha’s Hair and Beauty Salon, owned by Aisha Jackson; the baddest hairstylist and makeup artist in London, point blank period. A self proclaimed independent Boss Woman. The salon is a hidden cove among many others in the ever vibrant Peckham high street. The salon not only stocks every beauty product one could ever need, but is also the place to go for gossip, a shoulder to cry on, a laugh, a dance, a fight but most importantly to slay a bitch’s swag.
People from all walks of life enter the salon, many for reasons that surpass vanity. Where Tyrone transforms into Chantelle, where a 3.5s transform into a plus 10 and where those with hair loss conditions go to regain their dignity; all whilst having an experience you can only get in a black hair salon!
The salon is a gathering place and de facto community hub for gossip queens, the local shoplifter, the Jerk Man (The Jerk Chicken Man who has his Jerk Cart right outside the salon) The woke sistahs and brothas and anyone that wants a place to chill or, more often than not, a heated debate. Nothing is off-limits when it comes to Aisha’s Salon!
With the array of wacky characters that enter the salon, not a lot of hair styling takes place, but nonetheless everyone gets together and has a good time. So when Aisha breaks the news that she can no longer afford the salon due to the gentrification of the area; everyone mucks in to try and save the oldest salon on the strip.
FW: How has the response been so far?
TT: Thus far the response to our GoFundMe campaign has been overwhelming. We are very lucky to have some amazing friends. What’s more overwhelming for us is the response we have had from those we do not know. The shares and donations from strangers has been amazing. On the day the campaign went live Julian Nott (a British film composer, best known for his work on the Wallace and Gromit films and Peppa Pig animations) made an extremely generous donation of £1000. On top of this we received a large donation from a very famous English television presenter, producer, director and novelist. They opted for the anonymous button so we will not share his name. Along with his donation he sent Verona a very kind message of support which was reassuring. However not all of the responses we have had have been positive. We have have many inform us that we are begging or that we should have more pride in ourselves than to ask people for money. This doesn’t come as a shock to us and we understand why these people feel this way. At first we became very disheartened and did plan to give up. Now we say bring us a solution not a problem, thank-you bye!
FW: Why do you think we are so lacking in diversity on screen?
TT: British BAME communities have an abundance of talented writers, actors, directors, producers and creatives in general. We cannot deny that things have got better and continue to get better when it comes to seeing more diversity on our screens. However, it is still only a select few and often the same few faces we see. To add to this we need to see characters of colour with depth and with storylines that don’t feed stereotypes.
Ticking diversity boxes can be problematic as BAME performers can end up playing smaller roles that add a bit of colour/diversity to a show and it appears show casting directors have been casting responsibly, but in turn leave BAME performers unable to showcase their talent – as the smaller roles can often be one dimensional – and feeling like the token brown person. Giving support to projects such as ours allows us to build foundations for the future and to offer opportunities to others from similar backgrounds. Having BAME people in executive positions will offer a better understanding of when it comes to BAME writing etc.
FW: Can you share a little about all the talented people involved in Treatment?
TT: Writer and creator Verona Rose is an actor, writer and stand-up character comedian who has a passion for directing, film making and photography. She is a writer and lead talent of newly commissioned BBC Three sitcom Fully Blown and has appeared on shows such as 8 out of 10 Cats, Eastenders and E4’s Pants on Fire.
Writer Anneka Gouldbourne Born and raised in South East London, Peckham, Jamaican Heritage. She is an actress, writer, spoken word artist and devoted carer of her father, Treatment will be her debut in writing alongside A Verona Rose Ting productions.
Writer Alice Fofana trained at Italia Conti and Anna Shears performing arts school for three years studying drama. She has performed on London’s most prestigious stages, such as the royal court, National theatre and the Royal Opera House.
Other talented people involved in this project include:
Big T, a performer and star of Shipwrecked and The Challenge. Born in Malawi but was later adopted by a British family.
Rico Jacob Chase, cameraperson and crew member who identifies as a black trans male.
Clare Anyiam-Osigwe, an award winning British film director, writer and actor who will be directing episodes of Treatment. Clare’s debut feature film No Shade (Amazon Prime Video/AMC) was released in cinemas in the U.K. and the U.S in November 2018 and has secured international distribution and critical acclaim for depicting a fresh perspective of Black British romantic drama and showcasing new diverse actors.
Holly Fry, Salon Owner, Marianne Simons, Curt Soul, Patrick Thompson, Jovan Young, Esther Oyeniyi, Marc Dehaney, Dean Kilbey, Raphael Meade, Zarine Murray, Anton Rice, Lateef Lovejoy, Sean Paul Jenkinson, Tony Mcpherson, Kemi Lofinmakin, Lunga Skosana and Tania Cherkez.
FW: Who are your favourite funny women?
Collectively our favourite funny women include – Issa Rae, Dawn French, Katherine Ryan, Catherine Tate, Tiffany Haddish, Sophie Duker, Gina Yashere, London Hughes and Regina Hall to name a few! We have many more but the list is endless because WOMEN ARE FUNNY!
You can donate to the GoFundMe by clicking here!
