Jasmine’s Juice – Speaking at Oxford Union and winning the motion!

I told you a few weeks ago that I was honoured to be invited to speak at the Oxford Union in one of their historic debates this term. I was asked to speak on the Proposition motion:
This House Believes Stormzy Is More Relevant than Boris

The Oxford Union was founded by a group of students in 1823 to protest against the University’s restrictive rules surrounding the discussion of religion and politics. To this day, the Union remains a place where students can make their voices heard by debating the most important and topical issues against the leading figures of the day. Throughout their history, they have played host to world leaders from US Presidents Reagan, Nixon, Carter and Clinton, Sir Winston Churchill, iconic figures like Albert Einstein, Malcolm X, the Dalai Lama & Mother Teresa, musical stars from Sir Elton John to Shakira and now….me 😂 .

From Tupac to Dave, rap music has amplified the voices of disadvantaged groups on an unprecedented scale. Similarly, politicians have a significant role in advocating the interests of their constituents in Parliament through debates and Select Committees. Rap has embedded itself into the popular culture of society and made people feel not just heard, but seen, in a way they weren’t before. In turn, this has heightened the significance of cultural relevance in identity – working to challenge the status quo through creativity.

The debate was kicked off by the two students speakers Rosie and Lucas.

My team- for the Proposition were myself, Mr Montgomery and Nelson Abbey.

The Opposition were Jonathan Ilan , Inaya Iman and Sheldon Thomas.
Before the debate students had been asked to vote in a pre speaker poll in which they has decided Stormzy was NOT more relevant than Boris.

After my team and I spoke, they changed their minds and we won by four votes!

Take a look at the video and let me know what you thought.

(I’d have loved to have spoken slower and engaged more with the audience but I had a time limit – which I overran and had SO MUCH material!)

Enjoy!

Jasmines Juice – Speaking at the Soho Media Club Festival- Be You – on July 14 2022

I’m going to be speaking at an exciting media festival in mid July.

A line-up of inspiring TV and film industry trailblazers are set to take to the stage in Soho on Thursday 14 July to lead honest discussions about inclusion, diversity, talent and mental health in film and TV and challenge the status quo.
Building on the success of its monthly networking meetups, Soho Media Club has launched a one-day programme with inspiring panels, fireside chats, workshops and career meetups, as well as networking opportunities, including a Festival Party.

Fully Focused Productions, Co-founders Nick Bedu & Teddy Nygh share their story at the BE YOU Festival in Soho on 14 July. Moderated by me, this is one session not to miss 👊🏽

Fully Focused Productions | Million Youth Media (MYM YouTube) is the UK’s leading youth-driven and youth-focused production company creating award-winning, high impact content for and with a youth audience and was founded in 2010 to give young people from underrepresented backgrounds opportunities to learn vital new skills and make films, while actively searching for solutions around issues they deem most important.

Teddy & Nick will be sharing how they developed such a brilliant ethos, what they’ve achieved thus far and what’s next.

Click here to book your spot.

 If you’d like to join the day, then I can offer you the discount code Speaker20 to get a 20% discount off the ticket price! You can book at the website www.sohomediaclub.com/beyou
With the discount, it’s £80 for the entire day including sessions, networking, food, drinks, a comedy act and of course the Festival Party where former Earth, Wind & Fire band member Mo Pleasure is doing a set! 

I’m also speaking on another panel later in the day.

Holistic Diversity:

Joyce Adeluwoye-Adams MBE, Editor, Newsroom Diversity, Reuters; Bella Lambourne, HR & Operations Director, Banijay and Jasmine Dotiwala, TV producer, director, reporter, discuss how to design a culture of inclusivity, equity and belonging which runs through the fabric of an organisation.


“Soho Media Club meet-ups have attracted a wide and diverse audience from all parts of the industry, at all levels – from students and runners, to directors, producers, editors, commissioners, CEOs and company owners. It made us realise that people in TV and film want to widen their connections, share their stories and there’s a real momentum to change things for the better. The time is right for the Be You Festival to help move the dial and celebrate the TV industry in all its diversity,” said Jaisica Lapsiwala, co-founder, Soho Media Club.

Featured speakers include:
● Ursula Macfarlane, award-winning director and executive producer, known for Untouchable, a documentary looking at the rise and fall of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and who has just directed the soon to be released documentary on Anna Nicole Smith.


● Teddy Nygh and Nick Bedu co-founders of Fully Focused, the UK’s leading youth-driven and youth-focused production company, will talk to me about creating award-winning, high impact content for and with a youth audience, including the recently launched BBC3 sitcom PRU about a pupil referral unit.


● Coky Giedroyc, award-winning TV and film director, (TV series Save MeHarlots; feature films How To Build a Girl, upcoming Take That musical Greatest Days) and an active mentor of young women in the film industry.


● Jessica Swale, Olivier award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director (TV drama Ten Percent for Amazon, feature films Summerland, starring Gemma Arterton, and upcoming Persuasion, starring Sarah Snook). Jessica is involved in Time Up UK and the 50:50 campaign, actively campaigning for greater equality across theatre and film.


● Jules Hussey, founder, Brazen Productions, award-winning film producer (You Don’t Know Me for BBC/ Netflix, Catherine the Great for Sky/HBO) and disability campaigner who is working on the much-anticipated BBC A-Word spin-off Ralph and Katie, directed by and starring disabled talent.


● Ace Ruele, motion capture actor, Creature Bionics, one of the UK’s leading actors within the motion capture/VFX industry who has done work in titles such as The Legend of Tarzan (film), Planets Of The Apes Vr (video game), The Inpatient (video game), Daymare 1988 (video game), The Matrix Resurrection (film), and two Marvel film titles – Eternals and Antman Quantunmania.

Panel sessions include:
Holistic Diversity: Joyce Adeluwoye-Adams MBE, Editor, Newsroom Diversity, Reuters; Bella Lambourne, HR & Operations Director, Banijay and Jasmine Dotiwala, TV producer, director, reporter, discuss how to design a culture of inclusivity, equity and belonging which runs through the fabric of an organisation.


Diversity in Post: Leslie Gaston-Bird, sound mixer, Mix Messiah Productions, Balvinder Singh Sanghera, founder, Run VT and Vanessa Taylor, film & TV colourist, share their personal career journeys and shake out the hidden truths about making it as a minority in post.


Accessible Tech: Sarah Cox, founder, Neutral Human , HaZ Dulull, co-founder, HaZimation, Rhys Hancock, co-founder & MD, Metavision talk about the need for more inclusive technology, what changes need to be made and how the future of tech can be inclusive and accessible.


Mental Health: Brian Hill, BAFTA-winning director; award winner Anne Morrison, creative director, Factual Programmes, NEVISION and Dr. Lindsay Ip, child and adult clinical psychologist, discuss bullying in our industry and how you can combat mental health issues in film and TV.

There will also be the Festival Party to look forward to, which will take place at Zero One. It will feature Morris “Mo” Joseph Pleasure, Former Earth, Wind and Fire, whose professional career spans the world of American R&B and pop, through his work with Ray Charles, George Duke, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Mary J Blige, Natalie Cole, David Foster and Bette Midler to name a few.

What a summer of amazing events with music festivals, media panels, all day immersive festivals in arts, theatre, ballet, film, comedy, art, poetry, parkour and more!

If like me you love the arts, then the UK is the best place in the world!

Get involved!

Jasmine’s Juice – Hosting the Parliamentary screening of the film Hostile

I hosted the Parliamentary Screening of the film HOSTILE by writer, director and producer Sonita Gale.

The film is a powerful, emotional journey through a handful of people negatively impacted by the governments hostile migration policy.
We hear from people whose lives have been ruined by bad policy.

NATALIE BARNES (DAUGHTER OF PAULETTE WILSON- A WINDRUSH VICTIM), ANTHONY BRYAN (A WINDRUSH VICTIM) AND HIS PARTNER, FILM MAKER SONITA GALE AND JASMINE

The voices and presence of the families impacted were devastating, and a reminder that they represent thousands more migrants with similar stories of trauma, upheaval and injustice, who are still awaiting compensation.
Since the governments hostile policy started 21 people have died before receiving justice.

Natalie Branes mother Paulette Wilson went to school in this country, and ironically, also worked for a short while as a chef in the House of Commons. Her courage to speak up in 2017 encouraged others to speak up too. But like Natalies mother Paulette, over 20 others have passed away before they could get justice – and over 14,000 people are still awaiting compensation so having their story told in the HOSTILE film whilst sitting in the very same halls and rooms where MP’s could have spoken for Natalie’s mother made it all the more poignant.             

It was good to see a turnout of MP’s and politicians in the audience who stayed to make comments during the panel. After decades of hostile immigration policies, Britain has reached crisis point. MP’s in attendance discussed what could be done to support migrants during this cost of living crisis.

JASMINE AND JEREMY CORBYN


I especially liked the points that Jeremy Corbyn made about supporting young people to know their rights and engage more politically so they can ensure things like this never happen again.

SONITA GALE, SIR STEPHEN TIMMS, NATALIE BARNES, ANTHONY BRYAN, JASMINE DOTIWALA

Let’s not let the stories of those affected by the Governments hostile policy fade away. They still need us to keep their experiences put there and to get justice.
Films that make a difference are going to form our history for future generations.

Congratulations again Sonita Gale for fighting to bring their stories to film festivals and the education system for a wider audience.

My dad always used to say ‘if you have a voice and platform then say something worth saying’. Sonita’s film says it all. Catch HOSTILE as a cinema or film festival near you this year whilst it’s on it’s tour!

Jasmine’s Juice – Invited to speak at Oxford Union

I was honoured to be invited to speak at the Oxford Union in one of their historic debates this term. I was asked to speak on the Proposition motion:
This House Believes Stormzy Is More Relevant than Boris

The Oxford Union was founded by a group of students in 1823 to protest against the University’s restrictive rules surrounding the discussion of religion and politics. To this day, the Union remains a place where students can make their voices heard by debating the most important and topical issues against the leading figures of the day. Throughout their history, they have played host to world leaders from US Presidents Reagan, Nixon, Carter and Clinton, Sir Winston Churchill, iconic figures like Albert Einstein, Malcolm X, the Dalai Lama & Mother Teresa, musical stars from Sir Elton John to Shakira and now….me 😂 .

THE WINNING TEAM FOR THE MOTION- MR MONTGOMERY, ROSIE JACOBS, JASMINE DOTIWALA, NELSON ABBEY

From Tupac to Dave, rap music has amplified the voices of disadvantaged groups on an unprecedented scale. Similarly, politicians have a significant role in advocating the interests of their constituents in Parliament through debates and Select Committees. Rap has embedded itself into the popular culture of society and made people feel not just heard, but seen, in a way they weren’t before. In turn, this has heightened the significance of cultural relevance in identity – working to challenge the status quo through creativity.

STORMZY WITH JASMINE DOTIWALA

It’s proliferation has catapulted artists such as Stormzy into the core of popular culture. But despite 8.4 million people listening to Stormzy’s Spotify each month, it is Whitehall and the political establishment that legislate on real-world issues – from roads and schools, to taxes and civil liberties. Nonetheless, whilst they may not have a seat in the House of Commons or a mandate from the ballot box, is the implicit influence of a cultural icon more relevant than that of our politicians? Is Stormzy, ultimately, more relevant than Boris Johnson? We were about to see what the students in the hallowed halls where Boris Johnson once studied himself thought.

We arrived at Oxford University where a lovely young woman called Kyoka was introduced as my talent chaperone for the evening.

We were offered drinks in the main bar where the BORIS BLUE and DARK AND STORMZY cocktails were on offer.

After this it was a quick change into our black tie outfits for formal drinks in the Gladstone Room, followed by a formal dinner where I was lucky to have been seated to the right of the Oxford Union President Michael Akolade Ayodeji – a lovely young man who hosted the dinner and the toasts.

PRE DEBATE DINNER

After this, it suddenly became serious as we were hurried into the library for a few formal photos and briefed on the rules around the debate and signed off those always scary release forms to allow them to film us ( from every angle to capture our facial expressions as the opposition team attempted to roast us.

The debate was kicked off by the two students speakers Rosie and Lucas.

My team- for the Proposition were myself, Mr Montgomery and Nelson Abbey.

The Opposition were Jonathan Ilan , Inaya Iman and Sheldon Thomas.


Before the debate students had been asked to vote in a pre speaker poll in which they has decided Stormzy was NOT more relevant than Boris.

After my team and I spoke, they changed their minds and we won by four votes!

Post debate, we were invited for drinks and fun again in the VIP members bar which was great fun as we celebrated our win!

What an honour it was to join in the debate and continue this fine tradition.

The video of the full debate will be on the Oxford Union YouTube page soon and I’ll be sure to share it!

Thanks for having me!

Jasmine’s Juice – A Profile Feature in Parsiana Magazine

In April 2022, the Zoroastrian Community Global Magazine PARSIANA featured a profile piece about Jasmine covering her career, faith, community and more.

Thanks to Parinaz Gandhi and her team for the interview and magazine founders Veera and Jehangir Patel for creating an international platform for Parsi Zoroastrians to stay connected.

Jasmine’s Juice – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Digital Content. Leading a DEI Masterclass for Channel 4 and the NFTS

It was a powerful end to the week leading a masterclass on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Digital Content for Channel 4 and the National Film and TV School

Thanks to the runners, researchers, producers, directors & CEO’s in the room for spending so much of your valuable time with me to improve the creativity in your teams via the lens of DEI.

Jasmine’s Juice – Contributing to the Wattpad & We Are Social Report about British Gen Z perspectives towards diversity, representation and equality in media

I really enjoyed speaking to Cultural Analyst Gabriel Noble Hello!WeAreSocial for their report for Wattpad which explores British Gen Z attitudes towards diversity, representation & equality in media & advertising.

Wattpad is a positive, diverse & impactful place marketers can engage with millions of Gen Zs.

Take a look at the full report which went live in February 2022 here

The report creators asked, Gen Z answered.

With diversity and representation at the core of Wattpad and their community of storytellers, they’re proud to present All Tomorrow’s Stories, their latest report in collaboration with We Are Social UK. 

They said…

”Gathering insights from over 1,000 Gen Z Wattpadders, eight in-depth reader and writer interviews, and commentary from media industry expert Jasmine Dotiwala, the report explores British Gen Z perspectives towards diversity, representation and equality in media, and discusses how brands can action representation in more meaningful and accurate ways”. 

The full report is a fascinating, impactful read- take a look and let me know what you think.

Jasmine’s Juice – The Brit Awards 2022

I’m feeling positive about the progression around the inclusion of musicians from underrepresented backgrounds since 2016 when we formed the Equality and Justice Group at The BPI / Brits.

In 2016 I reported on The Brits being unrepresentative of the music listening habits and culture trends of the UK audience in a report for Channel 4 News called #BritsSoWhite

Every year since then things have changed to reflect UK music in ways that weren’t being fairly before.
The overhaul of the Brits voting academy led to a very different set of real, reflective nominations of this countrys’ listening habits on radio, in clubs, in the charts and online streaming.

Some of the BPI Equality, Justice and Equity Group at The Brits 2022

Each year since our committee formed there have been changes behind and in front of the scenes.
Nothing can be perfect but it can always be better. We continue to create change in inclusion in music and media so that it reflects society fairly. There are still so many underrepresented groups not having their voices heard in the music industry. These groups transcend class, race, ability, gender, sexuality, age and more.
I’m so proud of all the change for positive representation that we all continue to strive for.

Congratulations to all the nominees and all the winners at this years show 🎵🎶

It takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes to pull off brilliance annually and showcasing the best musicians of the year

Well done to those gaffers, set designers, lighting Sparks, floor managers, producers, directors, camera crew, script writers, gallery ops,riggers, catering, security, PR and marketing teams, paparazzi waiting in the cold all evening to get those shots for global media.

Inclusion and equity can be a smooth process if everyone in leadership positions and the whole team is invested in positive change. And the BPI team have shown that they are.

Change isn’t easy. Change isn’t fast. But once it starts it proves that it’s the best for business’ bottom line, reputation and social inclusion across the board.

Congratulations to everyone at the BPI and record labels across the country for being unafraid of uncomfortable conversations and instead, relishing the idea of being a part of positive change. 

Jasmine’s Juice – Jasmine Dotiwala hosting the Digital Culture Awards 2022

I’m hosting the #DigitalCultureAwards on January 20 2022!

Arts Council England and the Digital Culture Network are two platforms that I feel passionately about as they support organisations across the UK with creative recognition. Arts Council England are excited to present the first Digital Culture Awards – celebrating digital and tech innovation in arts and culture.

Check out all the shortlisted nominees here.

Arts Council England received over 400 entries and all the brilliant Judges have narrowed those down to a Shortlist of just 29. We’ll be announcing the Winners at this virtual event on 20 January 2022, and we all hope you’ll join us to celebrate all the inspiring work that so many UK wide orgs have accomplished in the past 2 years.

The event will be hosted by me and will feature appearances from our Judges and other inspiring guests, including Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of MOBO group and Darren Henley OBE, CEO of Arts Council England.

Who are the speakers?

Our expert Judges talking about their category and announcing the Winners:

  • Digital Storytelling: Tom Burton – Head of Interactive, BBC Studios
  • Digital Inclusion: Andrew Miller MBE – Cultural Consultant, Broadcaster and Disability Champion
  • Data Driven: Rishi Coupland – Head of Research and Insight, BFI
  • Income Generation: Liam Darbon – Head of Omnichannel Trading, Tate
  • Content Creation & Distribution: Derek Richards – Head of Broadcast & Digital, The Roundhouse and Sarah Fortescue – Head of Distribution, The Space
  • Being Social: Adam Koszary – Head of Digital, The Audience Agency
  • Emerging Digital Leader: Hilary Carty CCMI – Executive Director, Clore Leadership
  • Digital Trailblazer: Katz Kiely – CEO, Beep

Learn more about them here.

Who is shortlisted for an Award?

Check out the Shortlisted projects on our website. Whilst there you can also review the brilliant projects which were included in the Longlist for each category.

What are the Digital Culture Awards?

Since 2019, the Digital Culture Network has worked with over 1100 organisations and individuals and we never cease to be inspired by the innovation and agility our sector displays. This has never been more apparent than over the past 18 months, where organisations have embraced digital technology to reach and engage audiences in the most innovative and creative ways and at an incredible pace, demonstrating the real opportunities that digital can offer to support our sector as we move forward.

So, to celebrate your dedication and creativity, we asked for submissions which outlined the very best in digital transformation, digital engagement and use of technology in arts and culture in England. We took entries from across 8 categories including digital storytelling, digital inclusion, income generation and emerging digital leader and engaged a host of amazing experts as Judges to shortlist across 2 rounds. The Winners in 6 categories will be chose by our Judges, but our two publicly voted categories – Digital Inclusion and Digital Storytelling – will be decided by you!

Public voting is open until 12pm (midday) on Friday 14 January – vote now!

Jasmine’s Juice -ARTIST & MANAGER AWARDS 2021 at Bloomsbury Big Top.

On November 18th I joined more than 700 artists, managers and music industry professionals at the Bloomsbury Big Top for the 2021 Artist & Manager Awards in association with SoundCloud.

Jasmine with Music Industry Legends Paulette Long, Kwame Kwaten

Co-founded by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF), the event was crowned by a final-hour appearance from Elton John and David Furnish to pick up their prestigious Artist & Manager Partnership Award, sponsored by PPL and I was sat at a fab table full of music industry acts and bigwigs courtesy of Music Mangers Forum General Manager Anneliese Harmon.

Jasmine with Anneliese Harmon
Jasmine with Music Managers Forum General Manager Anneliese Harmon

Marking an incredible lifetime of achievements in music, the joint award put special focus on Elton and David’s recent successes, including the award-winning 2019 biopic Rocketman, the best-selling memoir Me and this year’s number one single Cold Heart (Pnau Remix) (with Dua Lipa) and album The Lockdown Sessions. Attendees also celebrated the couple’s generous advocacy and charity work, particularly through the Elton John AIDS Foundation, their championing of young upcoming artists and their vocal role in demanding solutions to post-Brexit touring of Europe.  

Elton and David- image courtesy Andy Willsher

Elton and David’s award was presented by Rina Sawayama, who was also revealed as 2021’s Breakthrough Artist (sponsored by Spotify). 

Other artists recognised on the night included Little Simz (Artist of the Year, sponsored by Amazon Music), Mogwai (Pioneer) and BICEP, who shared their award for Innovation (sponsored by TikTok) with their management team at This Is Music

Three award categories for music management were collected by female winners, with Amy Morgan (September Management) receiving Manager of the Year (sponsored by YouTube Music) for her incredible record-breaking work with Glass Animals, and Grace Ladoja MBE (Metallic Inc) receiving the Entrepreneur Award in recognition of her bridge-building between music scenes in the UK and Nigeria.

Grace Ladoja MBE

Kayleigh Thorpe (Little Runaway Management) was revealed as the 2021 Breakthrough Manager for her astonishing work with Gerry Cinnamon

The FAC and MMF also celebrated some highly significant industry successes, with The Black Music Coalition receiving their richly deserved award as Industry Champions from Alex Boateng (Co-President 0207 Def Jam), Joe Kentish (President, Warner Records UK) and Taponeswa Mavunga (Director of Africa, Sony Music UK). Karma Artists, also celebrating their 10th anniversary, were a highly popular choice as Writer / Producer Manager, while YMU Music Group were presented with the Team Achievement Award by Kurupt FM’s Chabuddy G for their range of groundbreaking inclusion initiatives, including a Mental Health and Well-Being programme for clients and staff. 

Jasmine With Kanya King and Eunice Olumide

Featuring show-stopping performances from Wes Nelson & Hardy Caprio, The Anchoress and Lucy McWilliams, the Artist & Manager Awards was presented by Capital FM’s Roman Kemp and featured a red carpet reception courtesy of luxury boutique jewellery studio A Jewellers.  

A Jewellers graciously let Jasmine wear their 30carat diamond necklace

Commenting after the Awards, Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive, Music Managers Forum and David Martin, CEO, Featured Artists Coalition said: 

“Coming together again with friends and colleagues feels such a hugely positive and symbolic step forward. Tonight’s Awards was about celebrating music, talent, innovation and camaraderie across the artist and management community – whether that’s individuals at the start of their careers, survivors and legends, or those still standing after decades.” 

Jasmine with her BPI colleague Sophie Jones

The full list of winners were:

Artist & Manager Award 2021 in association with SoundCloud:

  • Artist & Manager Partnership (sponsored by PPL): ELTON JOHN & DAVID FURNISH (ROCKET ENTERTAINMENT
  • Artist of the Year (sponsored by Amazon Music): LITTLE SIMZ
  • Manager of the Year (sponsored by YouTube Music): AMY MORGAN (SEPTEMBER MANAGEMENT)
  • Breakthrough Artist (sponsored by Spotify): RINA SAWAYAMA
  • Breakthrough Manager: KAYLEIGH THORPE (LITTLE RUNAWAY MANAGEMENT)
  • Entrepreneur: GRACE LADOJA MBE (METALLIC INC)
  • Pioneer: MOGWAI  
  • Innovation (Sponsored by TikTok): BICEP and THIS IS MUSIC
  • Industry Champions: THE BLACK MUSIC COALITION
  • Writer / Producer Manager: KARMA ARTISTS
  • Team Achievement: YMU MUSIC GROUP 

Jasmine’s Juice – Power Of Women- Navigating Career Obstacles & Difficult Situations.

Jasmine was delighted to be in conversation between Nadia Khan for a PPL session for women aspiring to be on boards, looking at obstacles women in the workplace face, from the gender pay gap to how we tackle systemic bias.

This session was a continuation of the Board Development Programme on which PPL collaborates with Women in CTRL.

This will took place online on 30 November 

Jasmine’s Juice – Royal Television Society – Taking The Work Out Of Networking

Let’s face it, networking is an essential part of our jobs in television. Connecting with people, sharing ideas and exchanging experiences – it all makes for a happier, fairer and more diverse creative industry. 

We talk about networking but do we prioritise it? Does it come naturally to you or are you a bit intimidated? Is it time for you to reach out? 

On November 16th Jasmine sat on the Royal Television Society panel sharing hacks about networking.

Meet 3 of the best in the business – brilliant networkers whose work relies on their ability to build relationships across the industry.

Jasmine Dotiwala, Warner Brothers’ Andrew Zein and Simone Pennant of The TV Collective will be sharing their insights and anecdotes, giving you some dos and don’ts, and telling us how they managed to keep their networks alive in these last months of Covid-19.

You’ll also have the chance to network with your co-attendees in break out rooms at the end of the session. 

Hosted by Daisy Church, Media Trust. 

Access: This event will be closed-captioned. Should you have any particular access needs beyond this which we can reasonably accommodate please email kwhittaker@rts.org.uk

Panel

Andrew Zein – Andrew’s role at Warner Bros as SVP Creative, Format Development & Sales has him responsible Creative oversight of the development and production of programming and the exploitation of all forms of content within the WB International Television Production division (24 production companies, across 14 different countries.) He is also responsible for driving creative development within international production, steering the business to develop locally created properties into global formats and fostering co-developments across the group.

Prior to joining Warner Bros, he was Managing Director of Tiger Aspect Productions, one of the UK’s leading independent television producers, for 13 years.

Jasmine Dotiwala – Jasmine has over 25 years of experience as a Head of department, manager, broadcaster, producer, director and columnist at brands like Netflix UK, Media Trust, Channel 4 News, MTV and more. In 2020 she moved into a role working with the Netflix UK Editorial & Publishing team. She continues to support Media Trust programmes.

In addition, Jasmine continues to report on ground-breaking arts and culture stories for Channel 4 news and Sky News. She also appears as a regular panel guest on Jeremy Vine on 5.

Simone Pennant MBE – Simone Pennant MBE established The TV Collective (TVC) over 10 years ago. TVC, is a networking resource that coaches, champions and connects TV professionals with a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background to paid opportunities in the industry and to each other. Last year, Simone through TVC worked with Channel 5 and successfully diversified its supplier base, and as a result, the broadcaster is now working with nine new production companies led by people from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds. 

More recently, she hosted a series of networking events which aimed to build better relationships between BBC Two commissioners and senior producers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. Simone is currently collaborating with Channel 4 on their 2020 accelerator programme, where ten Indies have been matched with Commissioning Heads of Department for unscripted genres to work together towards a commission.  

She is a member of Bafta, and a juror for both the RTS and Broadcast Awards. In 2018 was awarded an MBE for her services to the Media industry.

Jasmine’s Juice – #StoriesFestival (Evening Standard / Netflix UK)

JASMINE DOTIWALA AT THE EVENING STANDARD / NETFLIX UK STORIES FESTIVAL

London’s Evening Standard newspaper in partnership with Netflix UK hosted a long 3 day weekend of screenings, seminars and panels full of the best UK talent across film.

Starting on Friday 23rd at Londons Picturehouse Central a lovely evening where ES Editor Emily Sheffield hosted and welcomed us to celebrate new up & coming writers of their writers competition to recognise diverse screen talent across the industry.

So many incredible speakers, actors, writers, poets and more gathered all weekend to share their journeys and skills with the gathered audience.

Also at the @EveningStandard@NetflixUK#StoriesFestival at @CentralPictureH you can see an exhibition of #Bridgerton costumes which are just stunning in the flesh!

Spot the Queen 👑👑
#storiesfestival
@EveningStandard@NetflixUK@CentralPictureH

My favourite panels so far are the Sex Education cast, followed by cast and creator of Top Boy …Ashley Walters and Ronan Bennett shared the history of the now global brand and shone a light on their development training programmes with Netflix revealing that directors, producers and editors had come up through the ranks to now being fully fledged talents in their own right and thriving in the screen industry!

MISAN HARRIMAN HOSTS THE TOP BOY PANEL WITH THE CREATOR AND CAST

Stand out quotes for me were:

Creator Ronan Bennett says when he first took #TopBoy into pitch to the BBC they had a problem with the word “milf”. “I thought if u have a problem with the word Milf then the whole of TopBoy isn’t going to be for you”

TOP BOY CREATOR RONAN BENNETT SHARES INFORMATIVE ENTERTAINING ANECDOTES ABOUT HIS CREATION

Lead character Ashley Walters says he never expected #TopBoy to become the beast that it became over the past 12 years, how he’s taken the younger new actors under his wing and mentoring them as they come up and why he’s proud to be a part of the show.

ACTOR AND EXEC PRODUCER OF TOP BOY ASHLEY WALTERS SHINES A LIGHT ON TOP BOY FASCINATING FACTS

“Like communities in Ireland where I’m from, or Hackney, when u come from a community that’s demonised/shown to have no moral centre,I wanted to present them in a humane way.I spoke to youth to find out what was important in their lives, hence the trainer’s narrative” Ronan Bennett.

“a big thing the pandemic taught me was to be grateful and happy to spend time with the people who i love. I spent months playing playstation”. Says @OAraloyin @topboynetflix

TOP BOY ACTOR ARALOYIN OSHUNREMI

“Netflix have given us the freedom to tell the story at scale. As a storyteller at Netflix u can invest more into the characters narrative. Netflix has given us creative freedom, an amazing platform and the space to tell the story honestly” says TopBoy creator Ronan Bennett.

Other sessions that were brilliant were of course the ever effervescent Ricky Gervais and Stormzy’s MERKY Books talent imprint. A great weekend nod to the incredible talent across the UK screen industries. Great job everyone at Evening Standard and Netflix UK!

Jasmine’s Juice – Jasmine In conversation with Major League DJz For Channel 4 News

The afrobeat, jazz and house music hybrid of Amapiano has been a big hit on the streets and on the dance floors of South Africa for several years.

But its success has now gone global thanks to social media.

The duo Major League DJz have been at the forefront of the genre since its inception and they brought their sound to the UK this summer.

Here is the Channel 4 News segment TX September 18th 2021:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUBBxBuIupQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Watch the full extended conversation on the Channel 4 News / Jasmine Dotiwala page here:

https://www.channel4.com/news/from-south-africa-to-london-meet-the-djs-introducing-the-uk-to-amapiano

Jasmine’s Juice- South Africa’s AMAPIANO music genre! …In conversation with Major League DJZ for Channel 4 News

On Monday 30th August I was invited by Afronation Parties to join their red iconic tour bus which was travelling around the capital with an open top deck where South African Major League DJ twins were hosting an afternoon of music for friends in the UK before headlining their show at the docklands East Winter Gardens venue. What better than to mix business with pleasure, so I invited Channel 4 News to join us and hear all about the music genre thats been overtaking charts, radios, music festivals and parties!

Africa finds itself in the global limelight more and more these days, gifting us different sounds to the music space.

The Major League DJZ are twins, and are both cultural ambassadors of AMAPIANO- the latest music genre from south Africa, causing excitement with music fans. They spent a few weeks touring here this summer, with sell out shows across the country- and sharing the music with British fans. In the news piece for Channel 4 News they shared what the reaction of the audiences has been like across the UK.

My father’s ancestors are East African- Kenyan- and to see the journey of various genres of music from across the African continent is awesome to observe. The twins told me what it meant to them that amapiano from South Africa is an internationally recognised sound being played in countries like Canada, Belgium, Spain, Britain & what this means for the future of the sound.

We discussed what draws people to the amapiano sound, what makes the sound uniquely South African, why its been successful crossing over, and its history.

We talked about why most amapiano isn’t sung in English- and how much that might stop it becoming bigger, or its global potential. (South Africans can be put off by English language in their local songs)

There was a time when music stars would try and make music with American accents. Amapiano proudly embraces South African language- fans are singing along without knowing what the words mean…I finally understand the fans all across Asia who i filmed when on tour with Jay Z and they were singing along without always understanding what they were saying.

So many talented South African artists have worked tirelessly in creating and establishing the genre. but are they getting enough credit?

Amapiano, is still in its infancy stage but collaborations between SA acts and music stars from other parts of the African continent are happening, as well as European and American music stars attempting to make amapiano songs but have met with negative response because they haven’t always done it with giving credit to its originators.

MAJOR LEAGUE DJZ are actually producers as well as DJ’s. They were introduced to the amapiano sound whilst they were dj’s mainly hip hop originally. They were born in Boston/USA, because their family were in exile as their father was a politician. they then returned to South Africa as 4-year-olds.

The twins then promoted high school parties and now because they have dual nationality passports, are able to travel across borders more easily than other local SA acts might be able to.

Their parents met via their mutual friendship with the South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela! …and the twins recall being surrounded with music as kids as their dad had them play piano often.

Their name Major League came about due to their love of baseball from their time spent as kids in USA. In fact, their ” Major League Gardens” events brand is well known in SA, the experience see’s music with games, sports /skating /food/drinks.

The twin DJs are also known for creating unique BALCONY MIXES which is them djing on famous balconies across the world. How has the pandemic impacted your music and other SA music acts, and how did you all keep your sound going?

AMAPIANO’S SOCIAL AND POLITICAL IMPACT

When amapiano first emerged, the music was Initially criticised and dismissed as inferior by the usual radio gatekeepers, but its township sound is now one of the biggest music genres in South Africa – the sound blew-up without traditional radio and media support. (It was shared initially via social media and Youtube and whatsapp instead of radio.

Amapiano has come from humble beginnings, to now being a staple sub-genre in South Africa thats taken the music world by storm,…but It’s not just the music that has fans excited, but also the dancing – see the Netflix film-JIVA and the millions of viral dances on Tik- Tok.

Another way that Amapiano has become popular is amongst young South Africans and social media influencers. They use amapiano songs in their videos and that’s how the music became popular.

Interestingly, amapiano has helped young black South Africans form their own identity. Amapiano acts have developed and created their own music business ecosystem and can perform live internationally and have a career without the traditional gatekeepers support.

There’s been news of constant conflict and political unrest in south Africa- yet amapiano has helped young south Africans deal with this by creating a distraction and focus to build a music business ecosystem pretty much like the grime music genre has done for young British black music acts.

The ultimate goal, the twins shared, was to take the sound to the world ”#pianototheworld” and win a Grammy!

Jasmine’s Juice – Producing ”From Social Media To Screen Stars” for my (RTS Futures) Royal Television Society Futures committee

On Tuesday 7th September I produced a panel for my RTS Futures Committee

Years ago, TV stars came from rigid, traditional, established routes which included showreels, auditions and agents. Today, the power of the internet and social media platforms are catapulting talent from social media to our TV screens.  

Tik Tok, YouTube and Instagram are now developing their personal brands, creating their own content and fanbases and TV Commissioners are scrambling to sign them up. Come and hear from social media stars who are infiltrating British TV screens in this RTS Futures session ‘From Social Media to TV Screens’.

A national audience of young people joined Grime MC and host of his own TV show on Channel 4, Big Narstiemultimedia broadcaster on Capital Xtra and Sky Arts, Remel London, Snapchat stars Man Like Haks and Stevo The Madman, to hear about their very different journeys from social media to screen stars. Chaired by Navi Lamba, E4’s Digital Executive.

It was a fascinated conversation where numerous tips and insights into the world of influencers, and diversity and inclusion were shared by the panel. Some of the key quotes are below:

#ManLikeHaks says he was making videos originally for the adults and then his audience expanded to everyone who enjoys comedy and wants to be lifted up, his fans are from all across the globe. 5.5million snapchat followers!

MAN LIKE HAKS


‘All of us are the same on socials as we are in real life. sometimes in this industry u get a 3 year run, but we’ve managed to stay relevant and have longevity by finding various paths and staying on top of platforms and pivot to keep our audience engaged’ said @StevoTheMadMan

STEVO THE MADMAN


Big Narstie – ”Music is my main career, but TV found me cos I capitalise being at the right place at the right time! Making funny videos wasn’t the plan, we just made videos with our mates! I’m SW4 Lambeth Certified Lover Boy! SHABBA! ‘

BIG NARSTIE JOINED US FROM HIS CAR -WHERE-AS YOU CAN IMAGINE- IT WAS CHAOS LOL!


”When i started doing music, my brethren told mum i was doing drugs cos they didn’t believe music could be paying, so there was doubt/people trying to hold me back.I had faith in what I was doing.I really believe in me! Music/TV was an escape from the life i was in’ Big Narstie

I still feel v underrated.There is pretty/light privilege,Im a dark skinned woman, theres a fear of putting me on TV. I am a well spoken, I can be road, but I know how to talk, to everyone,I can do the job well.Theres a stigma of viewers not ‘getting’ dark skin women Remel London


‘My degree never got me on TV, it was social media, i made sure i was everywhere, doing everything, i loved my time at @linkuptv -they taught me to shoot/market..I’ve presented for multiple brands but I still don’t have a seat at the table & am still on my journey” Remel London

‘I had to teach myself how to shoot, promoting myself as much as possible on EVERY PLATFORM, and understanding how every platform works, following the commissioners, include all your links, cos u cant rely on TV to promote you’ Remel London

Man Like Haks ”’we taught ourselves how to be experts on every app, its not easy, I have to do everything myself, its empowering to know that I can make my own sketches, theres TV shows that don’t get the number of views that we get on our social media platforms’

‘they tried to cancel me for showing my toddler saying an explicit word’ revealed Stevo TheMadMan

‘my social media comments have been taken out of context, then people have tried to cancel/confront me & i had to avoid twitter cos of the abuse but now thats celebrated’ Remel London

‘start locally, grow your brand w/platforms who connect to you, reach out to commissioners said Navi Lamba

”i didn’t get paid for 3yrs cos i knew it would come” @StevoTheMadMan

You can see every single  C4 commissioners emails on 4producers & u can ask coffee & share ideas said Navi Lamba

‘you’ve built your platform, keep building it, when Channel 4 and the BBC aren’t interested in your snapchat & insta anymore they will dump you. Keep building & owning your own content & brand’ Big Narstie 

Some of the key takeaways our panel has shared included:

BIG NARSTIE TOLD US TO Capitalise and be in the right place at the right time when opportunity comes calling and come to your dream with an open heart, and use your own teams and talent to help to promote you

MAN LIKE HAKS emphasized that you have to be self taught and become experts on every social media platform

REMEL urged you to promote yourself all the time on every platform and follow the right people and tags anyone who might be interested

STEVO warned us about cancel culture and urged us all to be brutally honest on social media.

Some questions the panel left us with:

Are you doing enough on social media?

Can you use every platform like an expert?

Are you willing to put in the work and take the negative responses as well as the positive?

For many more monthly informative panels about how to get into the TV industry, do sign up to our RTS Futures page for more free sessions and information about how you can be a part of the TV  industry. rts.org.uk

Until next time, happy creating!

Jasmine’s Juice – hosting two panels at the annual UD Music London’s annual weekend

It’s been a very busy month! I had the honour of hosting 2 panels at #IndustryTakeover@udmusicldn on September 4th

I started by exploring the career journeys of an incredible panel of black women in the British music industry. They were Shauni Caballero (music publishing at the Go 2 Agency), Charlotte Richie (Director of Global Communications at Universal Music), and Ella-Bonai Gordon (artist manager and A&R consultant).

We touched on the panels career journeys, highs & lows, heard exclusive insights & provided the audience with the information that they needed to get THAT job & make their mark in the business of music.

Sharlotte Richie, Shauni Caballero, Jasmine Dotiwala and Ella -Bonai Gordon.

My

In my second panel I was in conversation with A&R legend Richard Castillo @IAmRichCastillo exploring his career from Shalit Global, launching @ndubz, UMTV,All Around The World,Sony/ ATV,Universal Music Canada & Polydor Records, his current role as A&R @AtlanticRcrdsUK ,being a black exec & more!

Jasmine’s Juice – Do music artists have more power now than in the past? Watch the DebateMate debate back.

It was a real pleasure to chair this debate on behalf of Debate Mate on March 24th.

They do great work across the industry – do check them out! When I was asked to chair this debate, I was amped and excited to hear what experts in the UK music industry from all across the musical landscape would have to say.

I have been in and around the music industry and creative arts for over twenty years.

I’ve worked at Channel 4, MTV News International, MTV Base, MTV Dance, ITV, the BBC…. and I sit on numerous music industry committees, and I’ve been lucky enough to see the evolution of artists, platforms, genres and everything in between first-hand.

More importantly than that, I am a music fan.

I am a listener, a watcher. I sing and dance-along… like the biggest fan.

I love everyone from J Hus to Jay Z, Jill Scott to Usher, Linkin Park to Earth, Wind and Fire, Beyonce to Dinah Washington and more!

So the debate was a collision of the professional and the personal, and I think you’d agree, it has come at exactly the right time.

The main question is…..Do artists have more power now than they’ve ever had before? Well – it’s debateable for sure!

Lets have a bit of context…

The music industry has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. The way we listen to music, and the way we pay for it… are almost unrecognisable from the 1990s… and even 2000s.

We’ve seen an evolution from vinyl, through cassette, to CD, download and now stream.

But is this change good for everyone? Does it empower all artists, or just those at the top?

Given my experience, our panel and audience today, we focused on the UK.

Each year there are 140 billion streams in the UK. The most streamed UK artist is Ed Sheeran, followed by Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Lewis Capaldi and Harry Styles.

Drake tops the list overall in the UK, ahead of Juice Wrld and Eminem. Globally, Bad Bunny comes out on top.

Mega artists, with mega numbers. as you’d imagine, get huge numbers, and with that – huge amounts of fame and wealth.

60,000 tracks get added to Spotify every day.

It now has 70,000,000 tracks available!

This means that more new music is being produced and made available than ever before.

So surely this means that artists have more power?

Well – maybe. But with lower barriers to entry, comes more noise. The market is crowded.

To some extent it’s easier to get heard (at least literally) but is it now harder to get noticed?

Today, are artists able to just do music?

Or do artists now have to be a brand unto themself from the outset – focusing as much , or more, on Instagram and brand partnerships… as they do on producing a track or writing lyrics?

How does social media impact different artists, different genres and generations?

So – on the proposition side – artists can record and release music easier than ever before.

They can talk directly to their fanbase like never before.

They have teams and technology that are working hard to put them at the centre of the music industry ecosystem.

There are evolving models of remuneration that may – only time will tell – see them receive greater proportions and absolute amounts of money.

But are artists now beholden to a new master – not the label as may have been the case years ago.

….But social media – the fickle nature of hype, the transient nature of what’s hot or not.

Are you more useful for selling Reeboks than records?

Other things for us to consider…..Are artists now more afraid of being cancelled …..than excited about being celebrated.

Do they seek safety in numbers and the security of social media – collaborating with other artists and brands for commercial and not creative reasons?

Was yesterday a simpler time… with fewer pressures and a more straightforward path to success – JUST making good music that makes people feel something!

If musicians have more power than ever before, and everything is getting better quickly, why do campaigns and organisations such as Broken Record, Musicians’ Union, Keep Music Alive and the Ivors Academy need to continue to lobby government, the tech giants and the industry heavyweights so aggressively on behalf of artists?

As you can tell, I could wax lyrical about this all day. But given we had six experts waiting in the wings, you may as well also hear from them!

In Ryan, Hannah, Ben, Cliff, George and Kwame, we genuinely had six experts – including artists, managers, lawyers, producers and everything in between – debating a relevant and important topic

If you hear anything thats quotable or resonates with you, do share it on social media tagging us all. …. using the hashtags #DEBATEMATE and #ArtistPower

Also do tag DEBATE MATE on Instagram and on twitter its @debate_mate

I’d love to hear what you think too!

Huge thanks to Ben Sarhangian and Esther Mark and their team at Debate Mate for the honour of chairing, all the prep work and a fascinating, informative and entertaining conversation!

Enjoy watching the debate here – can you guess which side won? It was a surprise!

Jasmine’s Juice – I host the latest Debate Mate conversation on March 24th – ‘Do artists in the music industry have more power now than ever before?’

Join me as I host speakers debating whether or not artists in the music industry have more power now than ever before.

Speakers for and against the motion include Ryan Edwards @AudooHQ, @BillionaireBen & @GeorgeRiley__ (more speakers TBC), on 24th March at 5:30pm.

Register, FREE, here:

https://debatemate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sX_0hyvDRxyYEa-sPFJeIA