How Unquiet Media is promoting greater awareness, understanding and acceptance of neurodivergence in the Creative Industries.

Exceptional Minds toolkit for businesses and creatives in the media sector 

Last year, Unquiet Media launched Exceptional Minds, a toolkit for businesses in the media industries to better support, retain and value neurodivergent talent.  

Developed with Media Cymru Research and Devlopment (R&D) funding, the toolkit includes a detailed guidebook and interactive website.  

Exceptional Minds provides guidance for businesses on how to build more neuro-inclusive workspaces and practices for their teams, whether that be colleagues, freelancers or crew members. It also offers helpful tips for neurodivergent people working in the sector, which can often be challenging to navigate.  

Unquiet Media developed the toolkit using a large body of research and lived experiences of hundreds of neurodivergent individuals, as well as input from several media businesses and experts from the world of media and psychology. 

Watch their short film Navigating Neurodiversity and the media sector – where neurodivergent professionals share their experience in varying job roles. 

Unquiet Media is urging creative companies in the Cardiff Capital Region – and beyond – to engage with the Exceptional Minds toolkit to learn more about inclusive work practices and to better understand the needs of neurodivergent workers.  

The toolkit is now also available to purchase in print, for both industry businesses and creative individuals.  

A new app for neurodivergent, disabled and D/deaf (DDN) talent in the screen industries 

Following the launch of the Exceptional Minds toolkit, Unquiet Media is now embarking on a new project with Media Cymru development funding. They are designing an innovative app to streamline complex pre-production processes and ease the onboarding process for neurodivergent, disabled and D/deaf (DDN) talent in the screen industries. 

The platform will allow cast and crew members to share access requirements safely and familiarise themselves with locations, schedules and expectations in advance. This will help reduce barriers and build a more inclusive and equitable production environment. 

Rosie Higgins, Founder of Unquiet Media says: “One of the most common barriers faced by neurodivergent creatives in the production world, that we identified throughout our Exceptional Minds research, was anxiety around a new job – dread around the unknown; a fear of asking questions to superiors; inconsistent communication of information; unreadable documentation; a lack of clarity around reasonable adjustments; and hidden set rules and expectations.

We know from our own experience in production that these processes are largely inefficient for production managers, too, with implications on both side for productivity, mental health, and the likelihood of mistakes being made.  

What if there was a better system for onboarding during the pre-production process, that eases the challenges for everyone? That’s what we’re exploring with our new R&D project, and we’re so grateful to Media Cymru for the opportunity to do so.” 

Neurodiversity training for creative businesses in Wales 

Unquiet Media is offering training to provide creative companies in Wales with flexible, high-end, professionally accredited (CPD) training in Neurodiversity.  

The training is funded by Creative Wales’ Creative Skills Fund to enable and empower more inclusive, psychologically safe and more productive workplaces and practices. 

The training course is self-paced, bilingual and free to access for anyone working in the Creative Industries in Wales – find out more on Screen Alliance Wales’ e-Learning platform. 

Links 

• For businesses and employers: visit the Exceptional Minds website to access support and guidance on creating more inclusive workplaces. An in-depth version of the toolkit is also available in print. 
• For neurodivergent individuals: visit this section of the Exceptional Minds website for advice, resources, and support tailored to your needs. A printed version of the toolkit is also available. 
• For training: Visit Screen Alliance Wales’ e-Learning platform. 
• Read more: Explore an article by Unquiet Media’s Rosie Higgins, on The Competitive Advantage of a Neurodiverse Creative Sector.
• Brand and design services: Unquiet Media offers inclusive brand and design services. If you are interested, contact Unquiet Media via email. 
• Stay updated: to follow Unquiet Media’s projects funded by Media Cymru, visit Media Cymru’s website, sign-up to Media Cymru’s newsletter or follow on LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About Unquiet Media  

Unquiet Media, a Media Cymru consortium partner, is a unique consultancy and production company based in Cardiff. They work across content production, psychology and neuroscience, with a focus on neurodiversity and mental health. 

About Rosie Higgins  

Rosie Higgins is director of Fields Park Productions (film and TV arm of the Fields Park Media Group) and Unquiet Media (a unique production and consultancy company). Her expertise and experience intersects media production – where she’s worked for 10+ years – and cognitive science (M.Phil. in Psychoanalysis, MSc in Psychology).