WBD Moves Writer, Director Workshops to DEI Unit

Warner Bros. Television’s writer and director workshops for fostering emerging talent are now set to be housed within Warner Bros. Discovery’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) unit.

The programs will be moved to the DEI unit upon the completion of the existing 2022–23 WBTV Writers Workshop class. The DEI unit, led by Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Asif Sadiq, will expand the initiative through the existing Pipeline Programs division, led by Warner Bros. Discovery DEI VP Grace Moss and overseen by Karen Horne, DEI U.S. lead.

The rebranded Warner Bros. Discovery Writers and Directors Workshops will work across WBD’s entire content portfolio. The company notes that while the original workshops were not developed with a unique diversity lens, they will now operate with a specific DEI focus.

“By continuing this successful WBTV initiative through the DEI division, we ensure that Warner Bros. Discovery’s commitment to training and development continues,” Sadiq said. “Additionally, this is a strong example of how DEI plans to leverage our recently announced Creative Council to best align with our internal partners in maintaining our commitment to infuse our pipeline with diverse storytellers. As we solidify the agenda and scope of the Council, we are excited to be able to expand this important initiative alongside our other efforts providing opportunities for underrepresented creatives.”

“Including the Writers and Directors Workshop within the scope of our current DEI pipeline programs, which include development opportunities for music supervisors, comedic voices and showrunners among others, will allow for a broader and more intense DEI focus and yield an even larger pool of cohorts to benefit from the experience and exposure we provide,” added Horne. “We are encouraged by this chance to house this long-standing WBTV effort to impact the industry with emerging talent within the DEI team.”