BAFTA Touts 2,500 New Members Since 2000, Says Underrepresented Groups Now Make up 16 Percent of Membership

2,500 creatives from across film, games and television worldwide have joined the British Academy since 2000, according to new BAFTA figures.

The additions bring the total number of global BAFTA members to more than 11,500, which — as of May 2023 — it said was split 42:58 female:male, including 16 percent from under-represented ethnic groups. 7 percent with a disability and 12 percent LGBTQIA+. According the figures revealed in 2021, 12.2 were from an ethnic minority background and 37.4 percent women, indicating a not-insignificant rise.

As part of its major overhaul unveiled in late 2000, sparked by the all-white performance and all-male directing nominees that year, BAFTA said it was looking to focus on “recruiting from under-represented groups.”

Last year, BAFTA launched a new membership tier BAFTA Connect for emerging and mid-level creatives, which has so far attracted 1,400 people from across the screen industries. This year, it launched a new BAFTA Connect Directory to facilitate introductions and recognition among its wider membership, to help tackle the ongoing crew shortages and skills gaps, and enable new creative collaborations.

“Our membership strives to be representative of the screen industries today and is helping to shape the industry of the future, so I am delighted to announce our new BAFTA Connect Directory, where members will find details of over 1,400 emerging and mid-level creatives,” said chair Krishnendu Majumdar in a letter to members. “With the ongoing challenges of crew shortages and skills gaps, I hope this directory can help support our members and enable new creative collaborations.”