The Shift 20 Initiative launches talent finding channel on TikTok, via Special and PHD

Disability representation movement, the Shift 20 Initiative, has launched a TikTok channel dedicated to helping talent with disability secure work in front of the camera, via PHD and Special.

Titled ‘Shift 20 Casting Call’, the channel was created in partnership with TikTok (a founding partner) to provide advertising agencies, brands and casting directors with an avenue to find and sign on people with disabilities.

It consolidates the expertise of TikTok, the Dylan Alcott Foundation – the organisation behind the Shift 20 Initiative, co-founded by ex-wheelchair athlete and Paralympian, Dylan Alcott AO – and inclusive modelling and acting agency, Zebedee, to not only provide a platform for discovering talent, but also offer supportive materials to facilitate it.

Specifically, users can expert to see educational content featuring Zebedee’s talent roster, including self-tape audition guides, production set explanations, and more.

“The appetite for brands to cast more inclusive of disability is growing, but the current talent pool is relatively small,” explained Special creative director, Adam Ferrie.

“In creating the Shift 20 Casting Call we’re opening the aperture, and access to incredible new talent.”

“By turning TikTok into a platform for talent with disability, we’re breaking down barriers of the traditional casting process and ensuring these incredible talents are seen and more importantly cast by brands,” added creative director at Special, Peter Cvetkovski.

Developed to increase the representation of people with disability on Australian screens, the Shift 20 Initiative has resulted in “a rise of over 10% overall recall of disability representation in advertising”.

“This past year has been monumental; getting some of Australia’s biggest brands onboard and seeing them take representation seriously has been incredible,” said Alcott.

“To continue this journey, and facilitate inclusion for people with disability we have to create safe spaces and employment pathways for people with disability who might fancy giving acting a crack.

“As a community we’ve spent so long thinking it’s not a place for us or something we can consider as a career or even a hobby, but I’m here to tell you that this absolutely is – and we want to see, empower and open up opportunities for all of you who might want to give it a go.”

Despite the boost in representation, the social movement uncovered that there are “limited pathways and [a] lack of inclusive communities for potential talent looking for work in front of the camera, with many still not seeing roles in front of the camera as a viable career path.”

Moving forward, the Shift 20 Initiative aims to tackle this.

Additionally, the initiative’s partners, such as Anytime Fitness, ANZ, nib and Uber, have already confirmed their intent to leverage the channel and drive more inclusive representation for talent with disabilities within their respective industries.

“At TikTok, we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse community where everyone has the opportunity to be seen and heard,” said TikTok AUNZ’s general manager for global business solutions, Brett Armstrong.

“Partnering with the Shift 20 Initiative to launch this initiative has been a huge step in empowering Australians with disability to pursue their passions and break into the industry.

“We believe this channel will not only create career opportunities but also help normalise disability representation across media and beyond.”

Zebedee’s director, Laura Winson, added: “As the leading global agency for disabled talent, we are over the moon to be working with the Shift 20 Initiative and TikTok on this project.”

“We work tirelessly with the fashion, media and advertising industries to understand the ethical and business case for inclusive casting, and this platform is going to make it even more simple for talent and clients to connect.”

CREDITS

CLIENT –

Client: Dylan Alcott Foundation

Founder: Dylan Alcott AO

General Manager: Georgie Saggers

Shift 20 Initiative Lead: Priya Addams Williams

Social Media Manager: Eliza Pickles

SHIFT 20 PARTNERS –

Anytime Fitness

ANZ

McDonald’s

Nib

Uber

TikTok

Tourism Australia

CREATIVE + PR AGENCY –

Agency: Special

Partner/CEO: Lindsey Evans

Partners/CCO: Julian Schreiber & Tom Martin

Partner/CSO: Bec Stambanis

Executive Creative Director: Ryan Fitzgerald

Creative Director/Creative: Adam Ferrie

Creative Director/Creative: Peter Cvetkovski

Managing Director: Tori Lopez

Managing Director, Special PR: Alex Bryant

Team Lead: Felicity Touzeau

Creative Strategist: Kate Wilkinson

PR Account Director: Sarah Halpin

Publicist: Allex Conley

Head of Social & Content: Morgan Barta

Head of Film & Content Production (Melb): Sophie Simmons

Head of Stills Production: Nick Lilley

Head Of Design: Adam Shear

Creative Services Manager: Leigh Cuda

TikTok –

General Manager, TikTok Australia and New Zealand Global Business Solutions: Brett Armstrong

Creative Agency Partner: Nick O’Donnell

PRODUCTION –

STILLS PRODUCTION

Photographer: Sean Izzard, The POOL Collective

Retouching: Nick Mueller

FILM PRODUCTION

lowkii

TALENT –

Zebedee Talent

Director – Laura Winson

AUS and USA Division Lead – Victoria Wilson

Talent – Deb Roach

Talent – Juttima Chinasri

Talent – Emi Elmitt

CONSULTANTS –

Get Skilled Access

Co-CEOs – Zack Alcott & Nicole Vongdara

Access Consultant – Bridie McKim

MEDIA AGENCY –

PHD Australia

Managing Director: Simon Lawson

Digital Director: Carrie Nguyen

Activation Manager: Riana Adams

Activation Director: Christy Permata

Research & Insights

TRA

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Matthew Leong

Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He joined the company at the end of September 2023.

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topics Adam Ferrie Brett Armstrong Dylan Alcott Laura Winson PHD special The Dylan Alcott Foundation TikTok Zebedee

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