Christian P. Pewitt Blogs: Live Nation, Others, Join Los Angeles Mayor's Fund To Promote Diversity In Entertainment

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Live Nation, Others, Join Los Angeles Mayor's Fund To Promote Diversity In Entertainment

Live Nation, along with other major entertainment companies including CAA, UTA, WME, and others to have signed on to the Los Angeles Mayor backed Evolve Entertainment Fund, a partnership designed to create new opportunities for the those communities which have historically been excluded from the entertainment industry.

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Guest post by Taylor Mims of Amplify

Live Nation has signed on as a partner for Evolve Entertainment Fund, a public-private partnership aimed at creating new opportunities for communities that have been historically excluded from the entertainment industry. The concert industry giant joins agencies CAA, UTA, WME, and 50 other entertainment companies.

Today Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined filmmaker Ava DuVernay and producer Dan Lin to launch the Evolve Entertainment Fund, which is an alliance between the City of Los Angeles, industry leaders in entertainment and digital media, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. It is dedicated to building career pathways into film, television, and music for women, people of color, and low-income Angelenos through paid internships, focused mentoring, and an ongoing series of workshops and panels.

“When ‘Oscars So White’ and ‘Time’s Up’ put a spotlight on inequality in Hollywood, they captured the frustrations of people shut out of opportunity in what the world knows as L.A.’s signature industry,” said Mayor Garcetti in a release. “We created the Evolve Entertainment Fund to give people in underserved communities a new opportunity to chase their dreams in Hollywood — whether they want to be the next award-winning director or screenwriter, or are looking to secure a future in below-the-line jobs that are the bedrock of this city’s middle class.”

The Fund has already secured 150 paid summer internships students participating in the HIRE LA’s Youth program. Companies already signed on include DreamWorks Animation, Ryan Murphy Television, Film Independent, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios, and Anonymous Content. The Fund plans to expand the number of internships to 250 by the end of 2018, with a goal of 500 placements by 2020.

“As we radically reimagine Hollywood, it is critically important that young people are included in our vision,” said DuVernay, founder of Array Entertainment and EEF Co-Chair in a release. “Real change happens when we take tangible action — and that means giving young women and people of color opportunities in the industry early on, so they have the chance to shape its future. ARRAY is proud to be working with Mayor Garcetti on the Evolve Entertainment Fund, and we look forward to our collaboration on this effort.”

It will also promote the work of underrepresented filmmakers, storytellers, and creatives by providing mini-grants to existing non-profits that pair underserved young people with top-level mentors and internships and deliver production gap financing to qualifying film, television, and new media projects.

The first cohort will be drawn from Los Angeles community colleges and LAUSD high schools. The Fund will also recruit students from low-income communities who are attending four-year colleges to ensure the program reaches a broad array of young people.

The first EEF grant recipient is the Women in Entertainment (WIE) Mentorship Program backed by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Hollywood Reporter. WIE selects teenage girls from low-income communities to work directly with some of the most influential professionals in entertainment, along with college prep support, scholarships, and paid summer internships.

“Our work with Mayor Garcetti and HIRE LA’s Youth has been rewarding as we continue to create creative pathways for underrepresented youth in Hollywood,” said Ryan Murphy, who serves on the Advisory board of the EEF in a release. “Mayor Garcetti asked my company for support and we immediately introduced internships through our Half Initiative with Hire LA’s Youth and have employed directly from the program.”

The fund has a goal of raising $5 million to enable programs through 2020. Initial funders include HBO, Interscope Geffen A&M, Kobe Bryant, IMAX Entertainment, and the Edward F. Limato Foundation.

EEF Advisory Committee members include: