Netflix Announces Support for Access All Areas ‘Performance Making Diploma’

• Only 8% of characters onscreen are disabled, compared to 20% of the UK population - The Performance Making diploma seeks to change this.

• Netflix will fund the Diploma with the course led by Access All Areas.

• The course is co-delivered by The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London and hosted at their campus.

• Applications open today, May 6th, 2025, and will close on June 24th, 2025.

Netflix is proud to announce a two year funding commitment for the "Performance Making diploma" - the world's only course designed for and by learning disabled and autistic creatives at a major drama school. The diploma is led by Access All Areas and co-delivered with The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London.

Anne Mensah, VP of Content, UK at Netflix said: "Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creators are some of the least represented groups on television in the U.K. Put simply, we want to change that. Supporting the Performance Making Diploma is part of our ongoing commitment to building a more inclusive creative industry. We're incredibly proud to support Access All Areas in this vital work, and can't wait to see what this next generation of storytellers and creatives brings to the industry."

The two year Performance Making diploma is designed to foster confidence, community, and wellbeing. 80% of students reporting an increase in confidence, 75% improved communication skills, and 70% increased independence. All classes will be co-led by professional learning disabled and/or autistic creatives, ensuring authenticity and practical insight.

Charlene Salter, AAA co-chairperson and Diploma Graduate said: "I really cherished doing the Diploma because it made me grow as an artist and a person. It made me more confident in myself than before, because I always was quiet and I never really spoke up. But doing the Diploma I learned to embrace who I am. To embrace my disability and be empowered by it. Now, I want to be a role model for learning disabled and autistic artists. We are so capable. All we need is a little help and we can do it…

For all of us and our company, I'm so delighted that Netflix is partnering with us for the Diploma. They want new talent. Now, they've got somewhere to go to employ learning disabled and autistic talent. It's so important right now because it's really lacking. Thanks to them, loads of new shining stars will grow and grow and grow"

Since the Diploma launched in 2013, 79% of graduates have gone on to professional creative work, with over 180 roles secured including collaborating on scripts with companies including Sky Studios and BBC1, and performing in EastEnders (BBC), Holby City (BBC), Call the Midwife (BBC), Damned (C4), The Level (ITV), Grace (ITV), and with theatres including National Theatre, Old Vic, Royal Court, The Lowry and many more.

Mairi Hayes, Head of Short Course Programmes at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, added: "Central is delighted to have co-delivered and hosted the Performance Making Diploma with Access All Areas since 2013. Providing equitable, professional training opportunities and access routes into industry is at the heart of what we do, and the incredible successes the course's graduates have had over many years speak to its impact. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of applying to do it - you'll meet amazing people and will learn, grow and develop as an artist and practitioner."

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Notes for the editors

To apply visit https://accessallareasproductions.org/theatre/artist-development/diploma/ .

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching, as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

About AAA

Access All Areas makes award-winning, disruptive content by learning disabled and autistic artists. AAA productions create intimate moments of interaction between performers and public, occupying unexpected spaces in venues, onscreen, on the streets, online, and in public buildings. As well as making shows, AAAs company of Associate Artists works to make culture more inclusive for learning disabled and autistic talent.

About the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is a higher education conservatoire - a specialist college of the University of London which nurtures creative collaboration. Courses include acting, applied theatre, movement, musical theatre, drama & movement therapy, theatre & live performance, scenography, actor & teacher training, voice, technical arts & production, and writing for stage & broadcast media.

With over 60 academic staff, together with visiting artists and lecturers, Central has the largest grouping of drama/theatre/performance specialists in the UK, an active research culture and is a hub of innovation and engagement for the theatre and performance industries.