London film producer launches Call It! app to tackle sexual harassment

A London-based film producer aims to tackle abuse, discrimination an bullying in the film and television industry through a newly-designed app.

At the age of 24, Kate Wilson experienced sexual harassment while working in Los Angeles, which resulted in her returning to London, at a cost to her career.

Now 21 years later, Wilson has co-founded the Call It! app, alongside the Victoria director Delyth Thomas and the My Mad Fat Diary producer Jules Hussey.

“Call It! is a completely anonymous tool that invites everyone in a workplace, be it a film set, a production office, a VFX studio, a cinema or camera supplier, to let their employers know how they are being treated,” Wilson told LondonWorld.

“They can tell them if they have experienced or witnessed bullying, harassment or any form of discrimination.

“Workers, including staff, freelancers and volunteers, are asked to check in every day, inviting and encouraging positive feedback. 

“In the event of mistreatment, bullying or harassment, the app signposts the user to options for reporting incidents and also to mental health support, empowering every individual to make active choices about reporting any mistreatment and their own well-being.”

The data will be stored in a dashboard which will enable employers to monitor the anonymised responses, intervening early and taking action when required.

Research commissioned by the London-based Film and TV Charity revealed that 84% of workers in the industry had experienced or witnessed bullying or harassment, with even higher figures in some sub-sectors.

“The app does a lot of incredible stuff, but it also doesn’t do some incredible stuff,” Wilson continued.

“It doesn’t oblige women to formally report an incident, it doesn’t pile the pressure onto those experiencing bullying and harassment by testing or challenging their ‘version’ of what happened.

“If someone uses the app and ticks the box saying they have experienced sexual harassment or racism, then that record is absolute, it is quantifiable and it cannot be ignored or minimised.

“That is important because it is traumatic to experience these things and it may take time - sometimes lots and lots of it - to feel comfortable and safe talking about what happened.”

Call It! is currently being tested with select productions and organisations, with a formal roll-out targeted for later this year.

Data collected via the app will be aggregated and submitted to the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University, in anonymised form.

Wilson says that she wishes the app had been created 20 years ago when she first needed it.

“But I guess now is better than next month or next year or never,” she added.

“People are experiencing bullying, racism, sexual harassment, ableism, ageism etc every day in our industry, so there’s no time to waste to start changing our working culture and behaviours.

“Hopefully Call It! can play some small part of a much-needed evolution and metamorphosis.”