Access VFX is an initiative started in 2017 to create a more inclusive and diverse visual effects and animation industry by mobilising studios and industry professionals to engage with underrepresented groups through mentoring, events, and outreach. Today, it’s an ever-growing, ever-expanding organisation with worldwide reach and impact.
Access VFX offers a successful global membership programme connecting individuals aged 13+ with industry professionals. It also provides access to free education through resources, events and workshops to break down financial access barriers to industry knowledge—something Director and Founder, Simon Devereux, believes nobody should have to pay for.
We interviewed Simon to learn more about how the volunteer-led initiative began, what it aims to achieve, and what sets it apart, as well as exploring some of the key learnings, successes and challenges so far. We also learn more about the importance of community in the visual effects and animation sector, the power of transferrable skills and why it’s important to champion mid-level access into industry and not just entry-level talent.
Can you tell us more about your journey into EDI and Access VFX?
Access VFX started out of my time at The Mill where we recognised that there was a big conversation around EDI and diversity. The studio I was working at in London at the time didn't reflect the people that were in the neighbourhood (Soho)—it was very white, very male, very middle class, and very university-educated, and we wanted to do something about that.
I was asked to focus on that work, based on my previous work with Channel 4 when I was involved in big projects as part of the 2012 Paralympic Games. That was the first time the channel won the contract from the BBC and they ensured the Paralympic Games wasn't an add-on at the end of the Olympics and that it was its own huge event with its own Superhumans campaign.
I was the go-to diversity guy at The Mill. I was the Head of Training and we started some work in 2016 that led to the formation of Access VFX in 2017.
What do you perceive are the risks of not addressing EDI in your sector?
We're built on creativity and different perspectives are so important when it comes to the Creative Industries. I'm a 50-year-old, white, middle-class man and I've been in so many rooms where I've been sitting with people who look like me. I don't get inspired by that and I believe you have to be inspired.
If you're telling stories, you've got to have people in your organisation who come from backgrounds that are relevant to the stories you're telling. Creativity is about celebrating difference; creativity is about different stories, different perspectives, and different ways of telling those stories.
I'm a big believer that there's a moral obligation to do more work in this space and I do genuinely believe in the power of shifting perspectives and getting out of your echo chamber. There are people out there who are going to change the game and they're going to come from very diverse backgrounds. Being exposed to difference ignites something.
What are the main motivations of Access VFX and what are the main problems it tries to address?
There are a number of different motivations, but the main motivation is to create a more inclusive, more diverse industry—it started as a UK project, but it's now a global initiative. It's also about opening up 'hidden careers' and access to a wider range of careers in the Creative Industries that a lot of people don't know exist. So, it's unearthing those routes into industry through things like events, podcasts, employment and mentoring.
Entry levels are a big problem and a typical challenge for organisations like ours. So, getting through to careers advisors, getting through to schools, getting through to parents and convincing the world that creative careers are viable careers is really important.
Having mid-level people is another challenge. We've been planting seeds for seven years, injecting people into industry and providing mentorship and routes into industry. Now, we're seeing people come through industry who come from different backgrounds, which is incredible. However, the mid-level, senior management piece is more challenging — trying to get industry to embrace the transferable skills of people who come in at that mid-level, whether it be artistic, leadership, management, production, etc.
Then, bringing those people in and allowing them to thrive rather than feeling that our diversity is only won by bringing people from the bottom rung and then waiting. I'm excited about that but for me, it's certainly also about that mid-level access, not because I'm impatient but because I genuinely believe in transferable skills.
What sets Access VFX apart?
The events are amazing, they really are. They're not just back-slapping networking events. People leave those events with connections to follow up with and it's always a really positive crowd, who are there to get real value and insights, not just free food and drink!
I think the big thing with Access VFX, too, and what sets us apart is really genuinely mobilising the industry because that's really what Access VFX is about. I mean, the fact that I get to go on email and just email literally 200 people on BCC asking for podcast guests or sharing an event we've got coming up is amazing. It's constantly just asking 'Who wants in?', 'Do you have somebody who can attend?', Are they somebody from a different background we want to showcase?'. Or even just 'Can you just jump on a careers booth?'.
What have been your main challenges or limitations when delivering Access VFX?
Mobilising industries. We do a great job, but it's still a lot of work to get people to an event, especially when it needs lots of people involved in it. I need people really dedicated to it because we have so many more new members coming through and more people moving from advocacy to action.
Getting people's money is another one. I feel like I spent my whole year chasing people for membership, and I'm still chasing a few people for their 2024 fees. Also, finding the time to do it and making the time to do funding applications and to strategize because the strategy at the moment is just to get sh*t done. It's just let's do events, let's reach people, let's connect with people—let's do more, more, more. I want to be able to take a step back and think about how it actually operates as a fully functioning nonprofit now we’re seven years in, without losing that lovely sense of scrappiness. I'd love to see this solidified by working on it full time. I never really wanted to be an entrepreneur of any sort but I can't live without it now so I've got to find a way.
What is something you’re particularly proud of about Access VFX?
I'm always proud to say that Access VFX, apart from a small amount of freelance support, is all volunteer-based and delivered by people who work in industry with full-time day jobs, including myself. I don't draw a salary for my work on Access VFX, I do it because it's important work and the work that I do is almost like a role model for the rest of our members.
What started as a membership for about 8 studios back in 2017 is now a membership of around 75. I would say it's 90% visual effects, animation and some game studios, and then the rest is industry bodies, some universities and educators. But ultimately, it's built out of people making the time to attend the events and to give something back. The beauty of the visual effects and animation industry in particular is it's a community. It's a real community of people who are choosing to do the work.
Reputationally, Access VFX is now seven years in so it has got some momentum behind it. When people hear the brand Access VFX, they know it stands for doing good and people inherently want to do good themselves.
It's all completely built on the goodwill and the time of people giving that up for no financial gain. That spirit of trying to create change is really impactful and inspiring. It's all cyclical because I'm now working with people who came up through the mentoring programme and the early events. It's a beautiful thing having all of these people who want to give back again.
How do you know your activity and the opportunities you provide are improving diversity and inclusion?
We have a dashboard on the mentoring programme where you can see a nice mix of backgrounds, genders, and ethnicities, but a lot of what we get is anecdotal. What's really nice is that now we're back to in-person events, people will come over and tell you what they've been doing. I even did a podcast interview for the Framestore Podcast recently, and I was talking to a Chicago-based intern who said she got her role through Access VFX, so everything's linked.
The industry isn't the utopia we're working towards but there are definitely more women and definitely more people of colour in the industry than there was back in 2016, from my experience.
What advice or key learning would you share with other organisations considering delivering similar initiatives?
Don’t overthink, just do it—it doesn’t have to be perfect for you to start. Don't worry about ticking every single box or having everything laid out. As long as you've got the audience there and the right people get involved, the rest does tend to take care of itself. Having people involved who believe in what you're doing and care about what you're trying to do is huge. I've had that in spades and continue to have it in spades, which is amazing.
Access VFX is wonderfully scrappy and I love that about us. We're not some slick machine but people still always leave our events with a follow-up call to action—they know exactly what they want to do and that's the end goal of it. You've just got to get in there, give it a go, start small, grow and do what you can to bring people on board.
To find out more about the incredible work Access VFX is doing to tackle EDI in the visual effects and animation space, and to learn more about its supporters, visit accessvfx.org.
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