New ViacomCBS International Studios Initiative for Diverse Creators

New ViacomCBS International Studios Initiative for Diverse Creators

ViacomCBS International Studios’ VIS unit has unveiled first-look deals with five emerging talent from the U.K., kicking off a new “First Look Deal Program”  conceived and developed by Kate Laffey, VP of VIS, and Claire Sowerby-Sheppard, VIS’ head of development for the U.K. It‘s designed to “amplify diverse voices” as part of the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

The writers – Morgan Bailey, Bec Boey, Chris Bush, Iman Qureshi and Kaamil Shah – were chosen “based on their proven scriptwriting talent, their variety of interests and writing styles, and potential to collaborate on distinctive development projects intended for Paramount+,” the company said. These five initial writers will have the opportunity to pitch five ideas to VIS over two years.

“These deals mark the first round of creatives confirmed to work with the international studio as part of a new, ongoing program in the U.K. intended to provide meaningful opportunities for diverse creators,” the arm of ViacomCBS said on last Tuesday.

“Since inception, VIS has been on the front lines of finding and partnering with diverse creatives from around the world,” said Kate Laffey, VP of ViacomCBS International Studios. “As ViacomCBS continues its expansion of Paramount+ globally, it’s critical that we create content that speaks to all audiences. This new initiative will ensure we continue to infuse diversity, equity and inclusion into every aspect of our work, particularly our U.K.-originated content. We are excited to work with this incredible group of creators to continue amplifying diverse voices and expanding our content offerings.”

The company recently launched VIS Social Impact, a studio division dedicated to developing social impact-driven content focused on topical issues. Both the First Look Deal program and VIS Social Impact are part of Content for Change, a global ViacomCBS initiative that aims to counteract racism, bias, stereotypes, and hate on and off-screen.