In his blog, arts adminstrator and writer Howard Sherman reacts to a recent article by Deadline's Nellie Andreeva titled "Pilots 2015: The Year of Ethnic Castings - Long Overdue Or Too Much Of A Good Thing?"
Sherman responds to the article and maintains that TV networks are seeking to diversify their show's storylines, commenting: "Through my role at the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, I can attest to the fact that television networks are absolutely seeking to diversify the stories they tell. In our nearly 30 year history of advocating for diversity in race, culture and ethnicity in film, television and theatre, we're often consulted on these issues, and have been continuously by the networks and other entertainment sources. They haven't advised us of any quotas they're trying to fill, but they're also not solely focused on race; the number of calls seeking to tap our database of artists with disabilities has also seen a marked increase."
He continues, "Andreeva treats efforts at diversity as a trend, a response to successful shows with actors of color in lead roles (How To Get Away With Murder), and shows that focus on stories about non-Caucasian principals (Empire, Black-ish, Fresh Off The Boat)...Yet Andreeva doesn't fully address to economic imperative of doing so: the fact that America is on a rapidly accelerating pace towards seeing Caucasian as only 50% of the population within the next 30 years. The networks are, for once, ahead of the curve, rather than following it."
Read the intriguing blog in full
here
About Howard Sherman:
HOWARD SHERMAN is an arts administrator, advocate and writer. In February 2015, he was named director of the new Arts Integrity Initiative at the New School for Drama, focused on creative and academic freedom in the arts. He also is Senior Strategy Director (following a year as Interim Director) of the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts in New York, dedicated to creating opportunities for artists of color and artists with disabilities in theatre, film and television. Sherman is also the New York correspondent for The Stage newspaper in London.
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