A few days ago, The Production Guild of Great Britain announced the five finalists of the Duke of Edinburgh Film & TV Inclusion Award 2025, an initiative that shines a light on individuals and organisations that are helping to create and progress talent inclusion in the UK screen production workforce. The award will be presented by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at a live ceremony on Monday 24th March 2025 and is hosted in association with The Walt Disney Studios and supported by Sargent-Disc.
One of our five finalists is the organisation Mouth That Roars (MTR), which trains young people in film production who wouldn’t ordinarily have access to media resources. MTR was founded by Denise Rose nearly 30 years ago to address the inequalities she had seen and experienced while working in the industry:
“Many years ago, whilst working in mainstream media, I witnessed first-hand the lack of representation from marginalised communities, both on and off-screen. I raised this with producers on many occasions, until one day I was told that the industry was never going to change, and maybe I would be 'happier' doing something else! So I did. I set up Mouth That Roars (MTR),” Denise says.
Based in Hackney, East London, Mouth That Roars provides opportunities for young people to learn the skills to forge a career in media. They can attend tailor-made media workshops using professional editing equipment and create films in a safe and friendly environment. MTR encourages active participation and cultural exchange through the process of filmmaking so that young people can challenge mainstream opinions that often don’t reflect their lived experiences. MTR’s support allows them to tell their own stories and to produce enlightening and challenging dramas, documentaries and animations.
“I wanted them to believe that a career in media or film could be a reality, and I wanted young people to have the skills and confidence to make challenging and creative new media from their lived experience and perspectives,” Denise mentions.
The organisation’s international reach has even seen it produce films with young people living in areas of disadvantage in the Middle East, North Africa and India.
Denise observes that “even though diversity on screen is increasing, there are still massive gaps in production. We have a long way to go, but MTR will keep going, whilst there is a need, we will keep driving on and challenging barriers that stop our industry from being fully inclusive and diverse.”
