The first ever lesbian and gay symposium at the International Screenwriters’ Festival is due to take place in Cheltenham on 26 October.
A panel of speakers, featuring screenwriters Damon Rochefort (Coronation Street), Katie Baxendale (Sugar Rush) and Neil Duncan (Skins), will address the international collection of budding creative types and industry professionals. The aim of the symposium is to discuss the role of the screenwriter in avoiding stereotypes and clichés, and writing storylines and characters that reflect the day-to-day realities of the queer community.
In 2005 gay-rights charity Stonewall carried out research into how the BBC represents the lives of gay and trans men and women. The findings showed that in 168 hours of primetime programming on BBC One and Two a mere six minutes realistically and positively portrayed the LGBT community, despite the £190million contributed to the BBC by the UK’s 3.6 million gay and trans population.
The research also revealed that more than two thousand teachers in primary and secondary schools believed homophobia on television was the largest contributing factor to homophobic hate crime in Britain’s schools. A further 38% of those surveyed felt that UK broadcasters had a duty to reduce anti-gay programming. What then is the responsibility of the screenwriter when it comes to portraying the LGBT community in a positive and realistic light?
The International Screenwriters’ Festival is dedicated to the art, business and craft of writing for the screen, bringing together international screenwriters and the industry in which they work to a single dedicated event, providing a buzzing atmosphere where writers can connect with directors, producers, agents, development execs, financiers and commissioners. The festival offers pitching, networking and hard business as well as a chance to listen and learn from the best in the business with screenings, seminars, keynote speeches, networking and workshops.
The LGBT event will take place at 2pm on the opening day of the Festival, which will be held from the 26th – 29th of October at the Cheltenham Ladies College in Cheltenham. Other guest speakers at the festival include Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia) Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) and Doug Chamberlain (Toy Story).
Prices start at £246.00 for a two-day ticket, rising to £389.00 for a four-day ticket.
screenwritersfestival.com.