NZ On Air’s fourth Diversity Report shows a more diverse mix of content creators in key TV production roles in New Zealand but there is still under-representation of Asian screen creatives.
In scripted and factual content, women continue to be well represented among producers and writers, making up 62 per cent of producers surveyed and 57 per cent of writers this year.
The 2019 data shows that productions led by female producers are more likely to have a female director than projects led by male producers.
This trend may account for the more even gender split of directors in the 2019 figures, according to the funding agency. Women now make up almost half (47 per cent) of all director roles in NZ On Air-funded content, up from 2016 when only 33 per cent of projects were directed by women.
The most sizable increase has been in women directing drama: in 2016 only 11 per cent of drama projects were directed by women, compared to 46 per cent in 2019.
Asian creatives are still under-represented across the board, with only 4 per cent of producers and directors and 7 per cent of writer/researchers identifying as Asian despite making up nearly 12 per cent of New Zealand’s population.
The numbers of Māori and Pacific people in producing roles is broadly in line with the population, with 22 per cent of producers identifying as Māori and 7 per cent of producers identifying as Pasifika.
Māori and Pacific people continue to be relatively well-represented in directing roles. This year just under a quarter of directors of funded content identified as Māori and 16 per cent of directors identified as one or more Pacific ethnicity.
Auckland still dominates as the centre of production and remains the most ethnically diverse of the main production centres.
In music, women make up around 27 per cent of funding applicants with around 33 per cent funded. There also women in mixed groups which increase this number by a little.
NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson said: ““It’s fantastic to see that there are increased numbers of women working in directing roles, as well as continuing to pave the way for others in their work as producers.
“However, it’s clear that there is still work to be done to encourage women in the recorded music sector, as well as Asian creatives in the screen sector.”