The BRIC Foundation, dedicated to increasing representation in the entertainment industry, today announced its third annual BRIC Summit, to be held March 5-6. For the first time, BRIC will host a virtual Global Talent + Innovation Day on Saturday, March 6, free to the public, and packed with live and on-demand keynotes, panel and salon sessions, case studies, skills training and creator spotlights from the world’s most iconic entertainment brands. Additionally, BRIC is partnering with LA Promise Fund & Get Schooled to provide unique programming for educators and students.
For more information and to register for the March 6 event, click here.
“This past year has marked an unprecedented time in our history, and we want to continue the dialogue surrounding the industry initiatives that have been launched. The theme for this year’s summit is sustainability — sustainability around activism, and the continued strategy for building and maintaining a healthy employment pipeline and inclusive culture,” said Alison Mann, Founder and CEO of BRIC Foundation and VP Creative/Strategy at Sony Pictures Animation. “I’m thrilled that we are able to open our doors to the public for the first time. It’s important that we have these pivotal conversations at a global scale. We’ll be spotlighting creators and real-life case studies from all around the world including Asia, Europe, Latin America, and South Africa. It will be an inspiring day of empowering perspectives.”
Industry Day: Friday, March 5 (INVITE ONLY)
Darnell L. Moore, activist, author (No Ashes in the Fire) and Netflix’s Director of Inclusion Strategy for Content & Marketing. will deliver the opening keynote address. Attendees will hear from UCLA’s Dr. Darnell Hunt and Dr. Ana-Christina Ramon (authors of Black Los Angeles) on the state of our industry. Additional speakers include Ngoc Nguyen from Time’s Up, Arnon Manor (director, Cops & Robbers), and Artivist Nikkolas Smith.
The day will focus on answering four key questions:
- Diversity – Beyond the Checkbox: How will the events of 2020 enable us to examine and evolve our diversity strategies and how will intersectionality play a role in the growth of our businesses, in front of and behind every screen?
- Now What? Hiring diverse talent isn’t enough: How can organizations build systems and practices for talent retention and growth?
- Sustainable Activism – Activism isn’t a one time action: How do companies and individuals maintain the momentum and continue to innovate to create impactful change?
- Innovative Talent Pipelines: How can the entertainment and tech industries create new access points to engage and attract emerging diverse talent?
Global Talent + Innovation Day: Saturday, March 6 (FREE TO THE PUBLIC)
Hear from speakers across the entertainment and tech industry, including Sony Pictures Animation’s Karen Toliver (producer, Hair Love), Malcolm Spellman (series creator, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Anne Cofell Saunders (writer/co-exec producer, Star Trek: Discovery) as they discuss:
- Resilience and Recovery: What will the impact be as talent across the globe has been affected by COVID-19, from the classroom to the workforce? How will we bounce back and heal the industry together?
- Empowering Perspectives: How can we empower diverse perspectives in front of and behind the screen?
- Globally Minded: How do you reimagine the global workforce and foster successful inclusive workplaces?
- Inclusive Comedy: Think before you speak! How do we use humor to nurture an inclusive culture?
“We started BRIC because we realized that if we don’t step up and start engaging individuals early on in their education journey, then there won’t be the evolution equality in entertainment we all are aiming for. We hope our programming for educators and students will become an invaluable asset,” added Nicole Hendrix, Co-Founder & Executive Director of the BRIC Foundation.
The BRIC Foundation was founded in 2018 by entertainment industry heavyweights Alison Mann, VP Creative/Strategy Sony Pictures Animation, and Producers Jill Gilbert and Nicole Hendrix. In addition to hosting its annual Summit, the Foundation also runs the Creative Academy, partnering with Studios and Companies to give High School students real world experience and educating them on various career tracks in the entertainment and tech space.
2021 BRIC Summit Sponsors include: Cartoon Network Studios, ArtCenter College of Design, DreamWorks Animation, Netflix, Catalyst, Scholar, Skydance Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, Illumination, Artstation, BRC Imagination Arts, West Studio, Weta Digital, Wildbrain, Supercell, Bento Box Entertainment, Gnomon School of Visual Effects, Hello Sunshine, Bonfire, Stage 32, VES and Women in Animation.
Learn more at bricfoundation.org or follow @bricfound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
