An app for the real-time anonymous reporting of harassment and bullying in film and TV launches today, with ambitions to establish an industry-wide view of the extent of such behaviour.
A trio of creatives – producers Jules Hussey and Kate Wilson and director Delyth Thomas – have created Call It!, which invites users to check in daily about their workplace via a traffic-light system.
A red-light indicating experiencing or witnessing problematic behaviour will alert employers without identifying the person who raises their concerns.
For anyone needing to file a report or get more help, it points them to Dignity at Work policies and procedures, plus other third-party mental health and wellbeing resources.
Described by its developers as the “canary in the coal mine” for identifying and tackling problems at an early stage, Call It! gives managers a live dashboard of the volume of green, amber and red-light responses.
Data gathered by the app will be used by analysts at the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University to examine the scale of bullying and harassment across film and TV.
The app has been endorsed by campaigners including UK Time’s Up chair Dame Heather Rabbatts, Directors UK and the Film and TV Charity, whose head of mental health and wellbeing Lucy Tallon said it had the potential to “shift the balance of power” of the industry by empowering the powerless.
“The many callers we’ve supported via our Bullying Pathway Service since its launch in March, have shared their stories of bullying and harassment and the long-lasting, traumatic effect it has had on their mental health. I wish they’d had access to an app like this the day it happened to them. The app is created by industry insiders who know what actually works on the ground.”
Wilson, who founded production company Fury Films, worked with the F&TC on its mental health study, the Whole Picture Programme. Hussey runs Brazen Productions, which works with neurodivergent creatives, while Thomas’ credits include dramas Vera, Victoria and Silent Witness.
