TORONTO, June 8, 2021 – Hit Canadian television series Hudson & Rex in partnership with Access Reelworld has launched a new initiative to increase diversity in its crew hiring for season four, which starts shooting in St. John’s in mid-June. To this end, our first initiative is an introductory TECHNICAL TRAINING BOOT CAMP for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador who identify as Black, Indigenous or as a People of Colour.

Successful applicants will spend three days on the set of Hudson & Rex shadowing several technical departments. The goal is to help potential crew members find departments that complement their skill set as well as develop and identify additional training needs. Successful participants in the introductory technical bootcamp will be added to our “daily call up list” and be eligible for entry level employment.

This unique opportunity to be part of the TECHNICAL TRAINING BOOT CAMP pays a $500 honorarium and Pope Productions will cover transportation for successful candidates who live outside of St. John’s. Previous experience is not a requirement.

All applicants are required to register through ‘Access Reelworld’: https://www.reelworld.ca/access-reelworld-page

This database is the largest searchable hiring and job posting platform in Canada for racially diverse talent in over 100 job categories (above-the-line and below-the-line), and is a valuable tool for all production companies, broadcasters and streaming platforms looking to hire racially diverse talent for their projects.

Once you have registered at Reel World go to www.popeproductions.com
For more information and application forms, questions may be directed to info@popeproductions.com No telephone calls please.

This initiative is through a partnership with Access Reelworld and Rogers Sports & Media that provides on-the-ground experience to emerging crew members, directors and writers who identify as Canadian Black, Indigenous or People of Colour. Program sponsors for this year are Shaftesbury and Pope Productions, producers of the hit Citytv series Hudson & Rex. Stay tuned for more details about upcoming opportunities via Reelworld.ca and allinforequity.ca

“We applaud Hudson & Rex, Shaftesbury and Rogers Sports & Media for not only recognizing, but doing something tangible, to create more opportunity and access for racially diverse crew, creatives, and production staff through our Access Reelworld recruiting platform.”

“We are excited to connect our dynamic partners, Reelworld and producers of Hudson & Rex – Shaftsbury and Pope Productions, to further support the growth and development of diverse Canadians in the production industry, said Nataline Rodrigues, Director of Original Programming, Rogers Sports & Media.

About Access Reelworld

Launched in July 2020, Access Reelworld is a fully transparent and searchable recruiting platform for Canadian Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American creatives in the screen industry.

We believe that creating a space for authentic voices at all levels of the film and television industries is crucial to building a better and more respectful world. Hiring diverse talent helps to tell well-rounded and informed stories and attract additional audiences.

Find racially diverse crew, creatives and production staff.

Our database is the largest searchable hiring and job posting platform in Canada for racially diverse talent in over 100 job categories (above-the-line and below-the-line), and is a valuable tool for all production companies, broadcasters and streaming platforms looking to hire racially diverse talent for their projects.

ABOUT REELWORLD.

Founded by Tonya Williams in 2000, the Reelworld Film Festival (non-profit) and Reelworld Screen Institute (charity) are groundbreaking initiatives in Canada that draw attention to the lack of racially diverse and indigenous talent in mainstream media – both in front of and behind the screen. Reelworld is the largest national platform dedicated to changing the face of the media landscape by empowering and showcasing Canadians identifying as Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American talent in the screen-based industries.

About Pope Productions:

“Pope Productions has always been an inclusive and diverse company, advocating for rights of marginalized groups, including the LGBT+ community and supporting gender parity initiatives,” says Paul Pope, President of Pope Productions Ltd. “In light of recent events, we are reminded that there is much more that we can do. We are directly reaching out to Black and Indigenous Persons of Colour (BIPOC) who have an interest in working in the television production industry.”

About Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film, and digital. Shaftesbury’s current slate includes 2 seasons of ratings hit Departure for Global/Corus Entertainment,

Peacock and NBC Universal, 14 seasons of fan favourite Murdoch Mysteries for CBC, Acorn TV and UKTV, four seasons of detective drama Frankie Drake Mysteries for CBC and UKTV, four seasons of critically acclaimed horror series Slasher with the current season being produced for release on Shudder, three seasons of Hudson & Rex for Citytv/Rogers Sports & Media, Dead Still for RTÉ, Acorn TV, and Citytv/Rogers Sports & Media, and The Sounds for CBC, Acorn TV, and Sky NZ. www.shaftesbury.ca