Derry Girls writer Lisa Magee says diversity means better TV

Derry girls creator Lisa McGee has said stories will suffer in the future without diversity in the creative industry.

She was speaking at the launch of the Creative Industries New Entrants (CINE) programme – an initiative helping underrepresented people access the screen and creative industries.

People on the programme join industries at entry level on a placement with the hope of being retained by employers or starting freelance careers.

Ms McGee told BBC News NI the industry landscape had changed and people needed access to jobs.

“We just have to find ways to find that talent and make sure they’re able to perfect their craft or the stories are going to suffer – the television is really going to suffer,” she said.

She said she understood how “tough” it was coming from a working-class background and trying to break through.

“At the very start of my career you would be sent on these wild workshops – all wonderful but what I needed was money to write a script,” she said.