The indispensable Angela Ferreira

Angela Ferreira has carved out an extraordinary career behind the scenes of primetime British television. With a subtle touch and an ever-present finger on the pulse of the changing cultural landscape, Ferreira’s innovative and intuitive approach to television production has seen her work across the full spectrum of the industry over the past two decades, evolving from script editor, director and producer to executive producer and commissioning editor.

Having held key executive positions in daytime, entertainment and factual at the majority of Britain’s big broadcast networks, including serving as a commissioning editor at Channel 4 and E4 and as an executive producer in BBC entertainment and features, in 2017 Ferreira was appointed to lead the Endemol Shine-backed boutique production house Douglas Road, founded by its CEO Sir Lenny Henry.

As managing director of the dynamic company, one integral challenge of the job has been striving to achieve Henry’s impassioned career-defining mission to improve the colour balance of British broadcasting. Ferreira’s eclectic cultural caché has made her the perfect candidate to deliver on the vision, overseeing the development of an impressive slate of original documentaries and dramas, including the Bafta-nominated BBC Four anthology series Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle (2019).

Jan Asante: You’re the British-born daughter of Caribbean parents. Thinking back to your early years growing up in the Midlands, is there a formative influence or cultural experience that sparked your desire to pursue a career in television? Was making British TV always the grand plan?

Angela Ferreira: I wanted to be a journalist or writer and wrote reviews of TV programmes and concerts, which I sent off to the local paper. At the age of ten I had my first one published: a critique of the American kids show Diff’rent Strokes. I didn’t really think about being in TV until I started working in radio. I got lucky with my second application. I was definitely of the ‘There’s a Black person on TV!’ generation, and I remember we hardly saw anyone Black on British television unless there was a prison scene. Back then some of the kids drama programmes were a bit more inclusive. For the most part, all my culture came from home, family and friends.

There’s a distinct sense of cultural hybridity that runs through your art – an exaltation of multiculturalism in all its complexity, so to speak. It’s particularly evident in more recent projects you’ve helmed at Douglas Road Productions, from Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle to the forthcoming One Love docuseries you’ve produced for BBC Arts, exploring the spectrum of British-Caribbean experience and hosted by Lenny Henry. When determining what kind of projects to develop and your choice of creative collaborators, what speaks to you most urgently nowadays? And of the many projects in your eclectic repertoire, which ones have been most gratifying to bring to the screen?

I’m interested in fair representation, untold stories and bringing talent through. All broadcasters and producers could do a lot more in not putting people in silos and boxes. We have brilliant people leaving the industry because of lack of opportunities and a lack of wider experiences being told [on screen].

Soon Gone was a highlight as it gave an opportunity to writers, was rooted in real experience, was emotional and was so well received.

I enjoyed making Black Classical Music: The Forgotten History [BBC Four, 2020] as most of it was completely unknown to me even though it was my idea – initially sparked by having seen a Tudor-era painting of Henry VIII with the Black royal trumpeter John Blanke. So that journey of learning, indignation, information, surprise, delight and wonderful music was as enjoyable to me as I hope it was for the audience.

I’m hoping our upcoming docudrama Una Marson: Our Lost Caribbean Voice has a strong impact and resonance as it tells the story of an extraordinary pioneer of broadcasting.

You’ve been a long-term advocate for more equitable representation and inclusivity across the industry and were among a prominent group of industry figures to spearhead the ‘Diversity Tax Break’ investment initiative delivered to Downing Street by the Lenny Henry Action Group in 2018. Significantly, you’re also immersed in academia, from having a seat on the governing board of the Brit School to your guest lectures at the National Film and Television School – which recently announced a groundbreaking Netflix-backed cinematography MA scholarship, aimed at nurturing the next wave of Black British women filmmakers. So where does your optimism lie in terms of the tangible effects of all this activism and for those thinking of entering the industry now, what’s the best bit of wisdom you’d offer? By contrast, what continues to frustrate you about the pace of change?

Without constant open conversations and interventions, we will maintain the status quo, which isn’t useful for the audience, the workforce or UK plc. We cannot remain static as the audience has many choices and want to see themselves reflected in every way. My connection to education and young people is really about passing on knowledge and insights and helping to shape the messages from a real-world perspective. We should be doing all we can to harness this amazing talent, giving them top-level opportunities and opening the door to a wide range of voices and opinions. They also have the technology and skills to be far more self-sufficient and creative without having to seek permission.

There are lots of barriers to young people wanting to join the industry, such as lack of connections, short-term contracts and too many jobs being in London. The industry and government have woken up to some of this but more needs to be done.

I’m really pleased that our parent company, Banijay, has addressed this by offering some longer-term contracts for those from lower socioeconomic groups, as well as the annual Bright Bulb internship programme. We have also set up a free industry course in prosthetics makeup artistry. For me, they are really positive steps for others to build on.

The eagerly anticipated My Name Is Leon is Douglas Road’s next big feature, which sees acclaimed screenwriter Shola Amoo [director of The Last Tree, 2019] collaborating with rising star director Lynette Linton. What can you tell us about the genesis of the project and, given its emotive themes, what kind of conversations do you hope it sparks?

Firstly, I want to say how proud I am of Lynette for her work on the film. Her vision and application were admirable, so I hope she gets the credit she deserves, along with Shola, Kit de Waal and the entire team. The film is an adaptation of Kit’s debut novel. Lenny voiced the audio version and fell in love with the story. The central character, Leon, is caught up in the care system and we see his experience and growth.

I feel extremely concerned that the care system is struggling, that what happened to Leon in the period in which the book is set, is still happening. I hope the film helps to open those conversations about what our priorities are around children and vulnerable children in particular.

What’s coming next at Douglas Road and in your role as managing director overseeing one of the most influential Black-helmed UK production companies, what would you love to see manifest beyond the creative year ahead?

The aim is to grow DRP and widen our slate, whilst bringing through and retaining talent. We have a commission for a six-part ITV drama, which Lenny is writing at the moment. Titled Three Little Birds, it tells the story of three women who arrive in the UK from Jamaica in the 50s, so that is exciting. I’d like to see a wider range of stories being told and being commissioned. We need more joy and authenticity!