Video transcript: Casting a light on representation

Video transcript

Sarah Churchman - Head of Inclusion, Community and Wellbeing, PwC

We're delighted to be here at The Old Vic today talking about diversity and inclusion which is a really important issue for PwC and our clients who turn to us as a trusted business advisor and we need to advise them on a whole range of issues in today's working world, and we need diverse experiences and backgrounds to draw on. So celebrating diversity today and talking about how to create an environment in which that diversity can flourish is absolutely vital.

Tom Wright - Artist Development Manager, The Old Vic

In our production of Arthur Miller's The American Clock, the visionary director Rachel Chavkin has reimagined the play with the central family cast as three different families all with different backgrounds and ethnicities, and this has opened a discussion here in the theatre and the wider world about representation as demonstrated by the PwC event here this evening.

Brenda Emmanus - Broadcaster and Journalist, BBC

I think business can learn a lot from artists, because artists are creative, they're innovative, they take risks, they're open to a broad range of discussion and they learn to collaborate and they're the things I think we need to enhance. They're the values we need to encompass when we're dealing and talking about diversity.

Gavin Wright - Head of UK Institutional Distribution, Vanguard

Quite simply it's the right thing to do. I think business has a role to play in society. There needs to be some give back to the communities which we serve.

Natalie Costello - Programme Lead Finance Modernisation, BP

I thought it was a fantastic event. First of all I think just having the diversity in panel that we had, the questions that were asked, the experiences that people have. It really does talk so much about the case for diversity and for inclusion and business in the world today.

Paulette Simpson – Director, The Voice Newspaper

I thought it was a very unique way to address a very serious topic. I think issues to do with race and gender and equality and diversity are often dealt with in a very harsh way or a very boring way. But this way, by having different people in the room with different conversations, different experiences, it certainly brings it to life and makes us question the things we do and how we do them.

Heather Melville - Head of Client Experience, PwC

It's about role models getting more role models to talk - to share their stories. Some good stories and some really bad stories because I think when people hear the bad stories they think we need to change that. When people hear the good stories they think 'oh my god I want to be like that person how did they do it'.

Andy Woodfield - Partner & Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, PwC

I think having the play here which is all about representation and deliberately taking a play and changing their characters to make sure they're representative really reinforce what we're trying to say about role models in organisations and representative leadership and how important it is to have a diverse leadership so that people look up to that and aspire to it. I love that connection that we've made with The Old Vic on that.

Heather Melville - Head of Client Experience, PwC

Yeah, that's really special. Really really special.