LONDON – The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has invited British TV stalwart Lenny Henry to deliver the BAFTA Television Lecture on March 17 at the organization’s London headquarters.
The actor, writer and comedian will give his views on the creative landscape in television, with a particular focus on the representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in front of and behind the camera.
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Henry will expand on recommendations he put forward this month at a roundtable held by U.K. government culture minister Ed Vaizey to discuss the decline in the BAME workforce that was revealed in Creative Skillset’s 2012 employment census.
Henry will draw on his personal experiences from a career spanning nearly 40 years, as well as findings from his current PhD research into BAME representation in the media.
Each year, BAFTA invites one of TV’s foremost figures to give their personal view on creative excellence in television and their vision for the industry’s future. Previous speakers include Stephen Fry, Paul Abbott, Lorraine Heggessey, Kevin Lygo, Alan Yentob, Peter Bennett–Jones and Armando Iannucci.
BAFTA television committee Andrew Newman said: “Lenny Henry holds an important place in British television culture; not only as one of the first black British comedians to achieve mainstream success, but also as a performer who has entertained the nation for four decades. He is a true renaissance man, equally at home on television, in theater and in the world of academia, and we are excited to learn more from his unique insights.”
