Warner Bros. Discovery will now hold its Writers and Directors Workshops and convert them into its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion unit on Wednesday following feedback from the industry, including the Directors Guild of America, that as part of the cost of the program driving diverse voices. will be closed. -Cutting move.
WBD’s Chief DEI Officer Asif Sadiq will partner with Warner Bros. Television upon completion of the current workshop class and work to advance the program. Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement came soon after the DGA’s statement Wednesday that the Guild would “fight” against the program’s decision to end the program and said its inclusion is mandated as part of the Guild’s collective bargaining agreement.
“The program was established as a result of the Guild’s decades of work to pressure studios to diversify their recruitment practices,” the DGA said in part. Statement, “It is unconscionable that proven efforts to diversify our industry are sacrificed so quickly and fearlessly. We have been in contact with WB and received their commitment to work with us to resolve this important matter.” We will do everything in our power to make sure they do.”
Warner Bros. Discovery stated in its announcement that Workshop’s programs are being re-branded and now expanding to its entire content portfolio, rather than just TV, although it stated that WBTV is a significant addition to Workshop. Will continue to be a partner. It added that while the original workshops were not developed with a unique diversity lens, these programs will now operate exclusively with a focus on diversity, equality and inclusion.
Despite reports on Tuesday that the program would be closed, a person with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap that the company had always planned to shut down WBTV Workshops and turn them into a DEI corporate entity, but intended to announce the rebranded event. Had to keep it close. End of current workshop class. However, they “didn’t anticipate” the response as they appeared to affect diversity and inclusion, so the launch of the rebranded program hastened. Person further emphasized that the new program will now have the express mission of supporting DEI efforts, rather than just broadly supporting emerging writers and directors.
“By continuing this successful WBTV initiative through the DEI division, we ensure that Warner Bros. Discovery’s continued commitment to training and development continues. Additionally, this is a strong example of how DEI has helped our We plan to leverage the recently announced Creative Council to best align with our internal partners to maintain our commitment to impacting our pipeline with diverse storytellers,” said Asif Sadiq, Warner Bros. Discovery CDEIO, said in a statement. “As we strengthen the agenda and scope of the Council, we are excited to be able to expand this important initiative with our other efforts that provide opportunities for underrepresented creatives.”
“Including Writers and Directors Workshops within the scope of our current DEI pipeline programs, which include development opportunities for music supervisors, comedic voices and showrunners, will allow for a broader and more in-depth DEI focus and also a larger pool of cohorts. To benefit from the experience and exposure we provide, Senior VP for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion said Karen Horn. “We have long been recognized as influencing the industry with emerging talent within the DEI team. Encouraged by this opportunity to keep the ongoing WBTV effort.”
Katie Campione contributed to this report.