This week’s guest is Clare Baines, the BFI’s first Disability Equality Lead.
Clare is a blind creative. Unable to recognise her own experience reflected in culture, she uses storytelling to create community and belonging for disabled people. Through comedy and joy, she challenges society's perception of disability, queerness, and all the joyful intersections in between.
She is the BFI's first Disability Equality Lead where she leads community-led action to tackle ableism within the industry, authentic on-screen representation, and advocates for Disabled talent and audiences.
Elsewhere she has recently written and directed her first short film, a rom-com called ‘Blind Date’ - funded by Roundhouse - that confronts the subject of ableism within dating through the eyes of a young visually-impaired woman.
We talk about Clare’s experience of becoming blind at the age of 15, her degree in biomedical engineering and working in tech before joining the BFI. In the context of her role there we talk about where you begin with creating equality and changing certain practices in the industry, finding kinship and community in the industry and how people who aren’t D/deaf, disabled or neurodiverse can be better allies to those who do identify as such.
Clare was a joyous guest to have on the podcast, she emanates hope and energy and passion and she’s someone that makes me glad to be a part of this industry, so I hope you enjoy listening.
SHOW NOTES
Episode 041: Alexa Raisbeck, Technician/Projectionist
Episode 040: Jess Jones, Script Editor & Development Consultant
Episode 039: Natalie Samson, Head of Production at Into Film
Episode 038: Rebecca Day, Documentary Producer & Psychotherapist
Episode 037: Cate Kane, Head of Acquisitions, Curzon Artificial Eye
Episode 036: Nicole Dorsey, Filmmaker
Episode 035: Robyn Citizen, Programmer & Academic
Episode 034: Pamela B. Green, Director, Producer & Main Titles Designer
Episode 033: Elise McCave, Director of Narrative Film at Kickstarter
Episode 032: Margaret Boykin, Director of Film Development at Ubisoft
Episode 031: Dorota Lech, Lead Programmer at TIFF
SEASON TWO BONUS EPISODE (030): Live at Underwire Film Festival with Roxy Rezvany
Episode 029: Sarah Brocklehurst
Episode 028: Jasmin Morrison
Episode 027: Rowan Woods
Episode 026: Flore Cosquer
Episode 025: Sophie Powell
Episode 024: Ellen Evans
Episode 023: Rachel Pronger
Episode 022: Sima Gonsai
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Toon’d In! with Jim Cummings
The Sackhoff Show
Team Deakins
You Can’t Make This Up
Phase Zero