DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND BELONGING POLICY

 

PRINCESS PICTURES:

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Princess Pictures acknowledge they work on the land of traditional country of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong People. They recognise the diverse and enduring cultures of all of Australia's First People, and pay respects to Elders past and present, noting this land always has been and always will be Aboriginal land.

 

FOREWORD

The Australian film industry is increasingly addressing workplace harmony in the way it negotiates inclusion for crew and artists.  Princess Pictures (and all affiliated and subsidiary entities) (PP) is committed to being an industry lead in delivering genuine and sustainable inclusion. Approaching inclusion from an intersectional lens ensures that a breadth of individual variance of employees and talent is both welcomed, seen and respected.  To this end, a policy premised on ‘diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging’ (DEIB) is an organisational commitment to realising this goal. It centres the respectful treatment of people as a responsibility for all employees to uphold, and accountability of this treatment resting with management to implement.

 

COMMITMENT

This DEIB Policy (DEIBP) is a commitment from PP to foster a work environment free from harassment and discrimination, and that values and respects the diversity of all individuals. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that all employees are treated with dignity and respect, that all employees are free from discrimination and harassment, and that all employees have equal opportunities to participate in the workplace.

 

Further, PP is committed to creating content that is representative of a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and communities, inclusive and respectful of all individuals. They recognise that the stories to tell have the power to shape the world and are committed to using that power to promote diversity and inclusion. PP is committed to ensuring those hired to create and produce content reflect our diverse world and will commit to collaborations with a wide range of partners who share this commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

 

WHO DOES IT APPLY TO?

Adherence to the principles of the DEIBP will become a requirement of employees onboarded into PP as an indicator of the commitment of PP Executive to ensure a culture of inclusion is created with accountability and transparency. PP will require all employees, including executive, administration, production crew and talent to familiarise themselves with the principle components and expectations implicit in this policy.

 

WHAT ARE THE KEY PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING THE DEIB POLICY?

The key principles guiding the DEIBP address diversity and inclusion, understood through a lens of intersectionality. These concepts are defined as:

 

Diversity:

The various expressions people have of their social identity, including pillars of: racial equity/ cultural diversity, religion, disability/accessibility, age, gender, Indigeneity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background that can be the cause of discriminatory experience

 

Intersectionality:

The ways in which intersecting aspects of a person’s identity per pillars above, can expose them to overlapping forms of discrimination. The compounding forms of one or more of these pillars increases an individual’s propensity to marginalisation. 

 

Inclusion:

The active acceptance of diversity of the above mentioned pillars – in which individuals feel seen, valued and respected, gaining access to opportunities and resources, enabling them to contribute to their environments without their diverse attributes being a liability.  Inclusion will be the conscious undertaking of accepting others allowing them to bring their whole selves to work whilst maintain a safe working environment to nurture this

 

WHAT ARE THE VALUES AND PARAMETERS OF THE DEIBP?

The values underpinning this DEIBP are informed by PP’s position of actively opposing and not tolerating bigotry and promoting inclusion of all talent and crew across their intersectional parameters. This includes:

  • The responsibility of PP employees and talent to be fully aware of policies and procedures in relation to DEIB as signatories to the policy

  • Attend ongoing training which facilitates an applied knowledge of further diversity and inclusion (D&I) training if provided by PP

  • As new content is being produced, ensuring the development is codesigned with a DEIBP aligned lens in procurement

  • PP signatories to the DEIBP refrain from discriminatory practices and interactions, and where safe to do so, challenge potentially unsafe practices and interactions, including such things as stereotyping, discrimination and racist, sexist or other demeaning and harmful commentary.

  • Acknowledging the intersectional nuances in engagement protocols for employees across every division of PP 

  • Acknowledging pre-existing dynamics of inequity within the film industry ecosystem, and consciously striving to ensure equitable and respectful engagement of those not of the dominant groups

  • Ensuring respectful dialogue and avoiding use of language that may be non-inclusive or ‘othering’ in nature

  • Acceptance of the right to hold differing beliefs practices and identity

WHAT SPECIFIC AREAS WILL THE DEIBP IMPACT?

The application of the DEIBP will impact various operational divisions of PP and be subject to new programs and roles onboarded within the company, in the spirit of maintaining a consistent approach to respectful inclusion. These areas will include:

 

Content Creation and Support

Dedicated collaboration with creatives from intersectionally varied backgrounds, creating content with a diversely appropriate lens. This action is to be followed with support for talents and creatives with PP providing mentoring and training as required.

 

Recruitment

Ensuring position descriptions are drafted in inclusive language, posted across diverse platforms to maximise reach and potential for more diverse candidates to apply. Targets to be set for diverse creatives to be retained by PP so as to form a team of talent more representative of Australia, ensuring crew, content and collateral are all inclusive.

 

Production

Develop a tailored/specific rider at producer's discretion to ensure that intersectionally diverse talent,  on and off set, feel respected and considered at every stage of their production experience with PP, including in:

  • Sound / Lighting

  • Make up

  • Wardrobe

  • After work hours

  • Catering

  • Camera crew

  • Prayer times

  • Auspicious days

 

Marketing

PP to engage and collaborate with a more intersectional breadth of stakeholders and artistic creatives in order to develop a rapport with more representative communities and audiences.  Commit to codesigning initiatives led by diverse creatives that centre their stories, supported by PP mentors to enhance learning and nurture a more inclusive environment.

 

DEIB Expertise

Allow for an external Diversity Expert to be available to advise on DEIBP protocol for any issues arising beyond the scope of the current policy stipulations. The Expert may advise on matters pertaining to specific nuances and assist PP trouble-shoot problems, while mediating any conflict, as an external arbitrator.

 

 

 

HOW TO LODGE A COMPLAINT/ MEDIATION PROCEDURES:

Ensure formal complaints of unsafe breaches of the DEIBP are heard by an external expert and not referred internally to HR within PP, in order to maintain a culture of accountability. 

During production times, ensure an external D&I Expert is available to advise on protocol for any problems arising outside the scope of the policy stipulations. The Expert may advise on matters pertaining to specific nuances and assist PP trouble-shoot problems, while mediating any conflict, as an objective external arbitrator.

 

CONSEQUENCES OF BREACHING THE DEIBP

PP reserves the right to review any finding made by an external D&I Expert concerning an incident breach of the DEIBP, which may result in an employee receiving a warning or termination. PP maintains a zero tolerance approach to bigotry in its workplace and is committed to upholding standards of integrity in its practices on and off set across all areas of accountability.

 

REVIEW

This policy is scheduled to be reviewed by June 2025 or as required. Princess Pictures will resource an external evaluation of the success of this policy, with recommendations for amendments brought to the executive for approval. All enquiries, proposed changes to the DEIBP should be directed to the executive prior to the review.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SUPPORT

 

Contact Us

For further information about our DEIBP or practices, or to make a complaint, please contact us using the details set out below:

https://princess.net.au/

 

Princess Pictures

91 Tope Street, South Melbourne 3205 VIC

admin@princess.net.au

+613 8527 2100