Seeing Ourselves On-Screen: Report reveals progress for Diversity in Australian TV Drama

Screen Australia has released new research into diversity on Australian screen, titled Seeing Ourselves 2: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Australian TV Drama.

A follow-up to the landmark 2016 study, Seeing Ourselves 2 examines the diversity of main characters in 361 scripted Australian TV and online dramas broadcast between 2016 and 2021, how this compares to the Australian population and what has changed since the previous Seeing Ourselves report. 

The report shows that there have been increases in the levels of diversity since 2016 including higher representation for First Nations people (7.2% from 4.8%), disabled people (6.6% from 3.6%), LGBTIQ+ people (7.4% from 4.5%), and non-European people (16% from 6.9%). However, a number of Australia’s communities remain under-represented on-screen compared to population benchmarks and in particular disability representation remains critically low. 

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke said, “Australian drama on screen is compelling and powerful. It’s a cornerstone of how Australians see themselves, learn about each other and how the world comes to know us. It shouldn’t be too much to ask that when you watch Australian screen, it looks like modern Australia.” 

Screen Australia’s CEO, Graeme Mason said, “It’s vital that Australian screen stories authentically reflect the diversity of our nation, and we know that the screen industry is becoming more aware of the cultural and commercial value of creating diverse content. It’s great to see improvements since 2016, however, these results show that the overall pace of progress is slow and there is a long way to go to reach genuine representation of Australia’s diverse communities on screen.”

“Authenticity and inclusivity are a core consideration in all of our work at Screen Australia and are why we invested in this new Seeing Ourselves report. This research serves to shine a light on the current landscape, and we hope it will inform, educate and influence decision-making across the whole sector. We know more action is needed to bring about transformative change and collaboration will be essential. We look forward to working with the sector to achieve greater representation in the Australian screen industry.”