MINDING YOURSELF: The Standards for Psychologically Safe Working Environments for Cast, Crew and Contributors

TIME & LOCATION

Thursday 13 November, 11:30 am

End Time: 12:30 pm

Upstairs Theatre

About

Following on from last year’s ‘Minding Yourself: the importance of mental health and wellbeing for cast, crew and contributors’ session, which explored how local production companies can support staff and create a happy and productive working environment for everyone, this year we continue the series by discussing recent measures such as the CIISA Standards, developed in consultation with the film and TV, theatre and music industries by the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), which aims to promote a culture of psychological safety through preventing and tackling bullying and harassment, including discriminatory behaviour.

The Film and TV Charity’s recent film ‘Break the Cycle’ highlighted statistics about the state of the mental health of the film and TV industry in the UK and Northern Ireland included some sobering numbers. For example: “63% of film and TV workers say the industry has negatively impacted their mental health; 30% had suicidal thoughts in the last 12 months; and yet over a third avoid seeking support altogether…”. CIISA’s June 2025 report, ‘Unlocking Growth Through Accountability,’ demonstrated the cost of workplace conflict in the UK’s creative industries is around £1.8 billion each year and impacts around 700,000 people.

Therefore, in a bid to get to the bottom of this emotional epidemic, this is an open invitation to all production company representatives to come together for a public conversation with CIISA and other champions of better working practices.

Chaired by artist and journalist, Lata Sharma, let’s hear from CIISA’s Niyi Akeju (Head of Standards Development & Stakeholder Engagement), Northern Ireland Screen’s Nicola Lyons (Head of Production), Screen Skills’ Sarah Joyce (Head of Unscripted and Children’s TV), and production consultant and anti-bullying and harassment trainer, Addie Orfila, to consider: do we collectively have the power to change the culture? How can we encourage positive working environments? How should we hold perpetrators to account? Can we uphold the best standards for everyone? Let’s understand the function and facilitation of CIISA and start putting good practice into practise to safeguard the current and next generation of our industry.

Chair

Lata Sharma

SPONSOR

Panel

Lata Sharma

Chair, Broadcaster, Actor & Writer

Lata Sharma is a Northern Irish broadcaster, writer, actor, social commentator and community volunteer of Indian heritage. She began her career as an actor and musician but transitioned to media due to the limited roles available at the time for ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland’s theatre scene, as most stories and roles were based on Loyalist/Republican sectarian divisions and the Troubles. Her first major presenting role was on BBC N.I.’s The Back Page, which led to national opportunities on BBC’s Holiday, Country File, and followed by a few years on BBC Radio 2, as well as magazine style shows for independent production companies on BBC N.I, and contributing to BBC Radio Ulster, and recently reporting for BBC Sunday Morning Live. A respected voice on social, cultural, and diversity issues, Lata has written opinion columns and contributed to a range of societal topics on BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show, Radio 5Live, and U105. Beyond media, Lata has spent over a decade in the voluntary sector working towards social harmony in a post-Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland and as a long standing chairperson and member of the Intercultural Forum in her home of Ards and North Down, she leads discussions in schools and community groups, to foster understanding, break down barriers through open dialogue and workshops, to challenge narratives, amplify and promote meaningful conversations on inclusion regardless of someone’s education, class, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or identity into a complex society like Northern Ireland.

NICOLA LYONS Northern Ireland Screen, Head of Production

Northern Ireland Screen, Head of Production

Nicola Lyons joined Northern Ireland Screen in October 2012 as Production Executive and was appointed Production Manager in June 2014 and then Head of Production in December 2022. Nicola is the first point of contact for production funding enquiries and oversees physical production including locations, crews and facilities. Prior to joining Northern Ireland Screen, Nicola worked in the film industry for over 20 years in London, spending 10 years with United International Pictures, the international joint venture of Paramount, Universal and MGM, and 11 years with Film Entertainment consultancy Hy Smith & Associates.

ADDIE ORFILA

Production consultant and anti-bullying & harassment trainer

Addie Orfila has over 28 years of experience in film and television. Starting as a trainee continuity announcer and runner at ITV Yorkshire, she worked her way up through roles as 3rd AD, 1st AD, Production Manager, and Head of Production. Her impressive tenure includes working on all four of the UK’s major serial dramas, serving as Head of Production at HOLLYOAKS and Production Manager at CORONATION STREET. She has also contributed to a wide range of productions, including HEARTBEAT, A TOUCH OF FROST, COUNTDOWN, MY PARENTS ARE ALIENS, EMMERDALE, BARKING, and JINX. Beyond production, Addie is passionate about fostering positive, inclusive, and high-performing workplaces across the screen industries. She is an established industry mentor for Women in Film & Television, a former member of Channel 4’s Mentoring Diversity Network, and was one of two lead trainers on the pan-industry Project Diamond Diversity monitoring scheme. Ten years ago, Addie set up her own company, delivering bespoke training nationally and internationally for freelancers and leading broadcasters, production companies, and industry organisations, including Netflix, BBC, ITV, ScreenSkills, Warner Bros. Discovery, The Film and TV Charity, PACT, The Production Guild, TRC, BECTU, and Screen Yorkshire. Her expertise extends to flagship leadership skills training and workplace culture and best practices, providing training and consultancy on bullying and harassment, equality, and diversity. In addition to her training work, Addie continues to shape industry standards as a production consultant, most recently advising the BBC and the RTS Mini MBA.

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NIYI AKEJU

Head of Standards Development & Stakeholder Engagement, Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA)

Niyi Akeju is Head of Standards Development & Stakeholder Engagement at the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA). She led on the development and publication of the CIISA Standards, working with key organisations across film, TV, music and theatre to set out the minimum standards of behaviour expected across the creative industries to ensure safe and inclusive working environments. During over two decades in the creative industries, Niyi has worked at organisations including the British Film Institute (BFI), BBC, BAFTA and ScreenSkills

SARAH JOYCE

Screen Skills, Head of Unscripted and Children’s TV

Sarah Joyce manages both the Children's TV and Unscripted TV Skills Funds, working with industry to set and deliver the strategy for investments and skills support across both areas. She has over 25-years of industry experience including more than a decade at Fountain Studios working on a range of children’s, comedy and entertainment shows most notably Pop Idol, Britain’s Got Talent, and The X Factor. She has a Masters in Management in Creative Industries from the University of St. Andrews.