ID Screening Days 2025
(Inclusion & Diversity)

Cinema Africa! – Hyde Park Picture House’s strand that champions African cinema in all its forms – is a permanent and central part of the cinema’s programming. Despite the opportunity that exists with African cinema, there are still barriers to cinemas realising it. In this session, Cinema Africa!’s strand lead Mosa Mpetha will offer some perspectives on why siloing African cinema within EDI work limits its potential and the possibilities that can come from this co-curatorial, experimental and centralised programming model.

If we want to welcome people across the gender spectrum, our cinemas need to deeply embed genuine inclusion in our spaces. In an increasingly toxic political and legal environment for trans people, what are the positive steps we can take to welcome trans audiences and staff? In this session, we’ll look at practical steps that are relevant for your cinema, hearing from organisations who are working towards a more trans inclusive culture. Speakers include Helios Blanc, Founder of Trans+ on Screen; Melanie Iredale, Director of Reclaim the Frame and Clare Reddington, CEO of Watershed.

Cinema offers an amazing opportunity to bridge seemingly disparate and geographically distant contexts, revealing our shared struggles, traumas and cultural commonalities. In this session, curator Misha Zakharov of Screening Rights offers case studies of film events and initiatives with a solidarity-first approach that have made meaningful audience connections – intergenerational, transnational and transcultural – as well as a workshop to understand how you can translate this work into your local context through site-specific approach, guest curation and eventising.

Class co-exists with every other form of inclusion in our venues and yet is often overlooked in approaching how we can make indie cinemas welcoming spaces. This workshop uses the release of Uncommon Voices: Exploring Class in New British Cinema to guide the conversation around working class inclusion in venues. Led by BFI FAN Socio-Economic Champion Linnea Pettersson and curator Nia Childs, it will offer practical perspectives that go across your venue and expand your thinking of the different paths to working class inclusion.

Led by autistic and ADHD trainer Sarah Walters (Peak Inclusion) and curator Maggi Hurt, this session is for industry professionals who would like to understand how easy it is to provide inclusive spaces for everyone. Maggi and Sarah are experts in working with venues to find practical ways to enhance the inclusion and attendance of audiences. This session will not only help you understand the experiences and challenges people with neurodivergencies, disabilities and other accessibility needs face when going to the cinema, but build your confidence so you can think outside the box when developing your accessibility strategy.

Having a thoughtful space for deep thinking and debate on issues that shape our world is a key reason why indie cinemas exist. But in an increasingly divisive and threatening public sphere, it can feel harder than ever to provide a space for genuine discussion and connection. In this session, we’ll offer some practical pathways from venues who have navigated these issues to help you assess risk, keep your staff safe and produce events and screenings that audiences really value.