BAFTA has admitted that it fell short of its duty of care when a racial slur was shouted during the 79th British Academy Film Awards.
Following the incident, an independent review was carried out by RISE Associates to examine what happened and what needed to change.
This found a number of “structural weaknesses in BAFTA’s planning, escalation procedures and crisis coordination arrangements.”
However, it didn’t uncover any evidence of malicious intent on the part of those delivering the event.
BAFTA said it accepted its conclusions in full.
It came about after Tourette’s campaigner, John Davidson involuntary shouted racist language while Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage.
Davidson was at the ceremony because the film, I Swear, which was inspired by his life campaigning and educating people about Tourettes, was up for an award.
READ MORE – ‘I can’t believe it’: Hull actor’s emotional BAFTA speech reveals the moment – and Hollywood legend – that shaped his career
The BAFTA Board of Trustees stated that they apologised “unreservedly to the Black community, for whom the racist language used carries real pain, brutality, and trauma; to the disability community, including people with Tourette Syndrome, for whom this incident has led to unfair judgement, stigma, and distress; and to all our members, guests at the ceremony and those watching at home. What was supposed to be a moment of celebration was diminished and overshadowed. We have written to those directly impacted on the night to apologise.”
While the review stated that it was “not a failure of intent” it did find that BAFTA’s planning and processes hadn’t kept pace with its diversity and inclusion goals.
“We did not adequately anticipate or fully prepare for the impact of such an incident in a live event environment and as a result our duty of care to everyone at the ceremony and watching at home fell short.
“Work is already underway to address the specific areas of improvement recommended in the review to reduce the risk of this happening again, namely around accessibility and inclusion planning, culture, and event communication and command structure.”
The statement added that they would be:
- improving their escalation processes and the chain of information sharing around our Awards ceremonies.
- strengthening how they plan for and deliver access, inclusion and support at events to adopt a broader intersectional approach so that the needs and experiences of all are properly considered in advance.
- and addressing any internal cultural gaps or lack of knowledge that may prevent BAFTA from meeting its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion across all work.
Last month, Tim Davie, the BBC Director General at the time apologised for the BBC broadcasting the involuntary tic and said that while it was a genuine mistake, they took “full responsibility for their error.
