TV Collective
Who Gets to Stay?
Historically, professionals from Global Majority communities have too often been the last to be hired and the first to feel the effects when the industry contracts. We've seen this pattern play out through recessions, commissioning slowdowns and shifting political priorities. History tells us that progress made during periods of investment can quickly become fragile when the industry comes under pressure.
Against that backdrop, this year's Diamond Report provides an important snapshot of representation across the UK screen industry. While it doesn't tell us why these patterns exist, it does invite us to ask whether representation is translating into long-term progression, influence and leadership.
Looking beyond the headline figures, no Global Majority community can claim victory. South Asian representation has remained stubbornly low. East Asian representation remains persistently low and, in some areas, almost non-existent. Overall, the picture remains bleak, with Global Majority communities still significantly under-represented behind the camera.
What stood out to me, however, was that Black representation has moved backwards in recent years.
Representation tells us who is in the room. Progression tells us who is trusted to shape it.
Wanting to understand what might sit behind the data, I asked The TV Collective community one simple question:
"What's the one thing our industry needs to do better to help talented people build long, sustainable and successful careers?"
One response captured it perfectly:
"We need to stop measuring success at the point of entry and start building the progression structures."
That belief has been at the heart of Breakthrough Leaders from the very beginning.
Five years ago, we created the programme because we recognised that access alone wasn't enough. Talented Global Majority professionals didn't simply need help getting into the industry. They needed the strategic relationships, commercial understanding, visibility and influence required to build long-term careers, shape decisions and create opportunities for others.
Since 2020, Breakthrough Leaders has supported more than 250 senior creatives and executives. Many have gone on to secure promotions, commissions and senior leadership roles and, perhaps most importantly, create opportunities for those coming behind them.
But the industry they are leading within is changing.
The boundaries between television, film, streaming, digital-first creators, brands and technology are disappearing. Tomorrow's leaders will be defined not by one sector, but by their ability to connect people, ideas and opportunities across the global content ecosystem.
Leadership development has to evolve alongside it.
Looking again at this year's findings, I found myself thinking about Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste. She argues that inequality is sustained not only by prejudice, but by deeply embedded hierarchies that shape who is trusted, whose potential is recognised and who is afforded lasting opportunity.
It made me wonder whether our next challenge isn't representation alone, but the redistribution of trust, influence and power.
The true test of inclusion isn't who is invested in during moments of social urgency. It's who remains valued long after the headlines have faded. It's who is trusted with the next commission, the next promotion, the bigger budget, the leadership role and the opportunity to shape the future of our industry.
The question, then, isn't simply how we improve representation. It's how we invest in and connect the leaders who will shape what comes next.
This Friday 31st July, we open nominations for Breakthrough Leaders 360 — a global leadership community connecting exceptional Global Majority leaders across television, film, streaming, digital-first media, brands, technology and the wider content ecosystem.
If history has taught us anything, it's that access alone isn't enough. We must invest in leaders with the strategic relationships, market insight and influence to progress, shape decisions and create opportunities for others.
If you know an exceptional Global Majority leader who is ready to help shape what comes next, we'd love to hear from you.
Visit globalbreakthrough360.com to learn more and submit a nomination.
Access opens doors. Leadership keeps them open.
Simone Pennant MBE, CEO and Founder
TV Collective,
July 2026
