The Value of Inclusive Production
Description
Calling all South Australian producers and practitioners interested in inclusive production! The SAFC has partnered with Inclusively Made and the team behind the team behind the South Australian made third season of ABC’s hit comedy Austin to present The Value of Inclusive Production – a special presentation on making inclusion part of the screen production process.
Join Inclusively Made co-founder Henry Smith, Northern Pictures' Joe Weatherstone and Shannon Wilson-McClinton, Austin S3 co-producer Michelle Hardy and actor Michael Theo to hear practical insights and lessons from the production, and discover how inclusive practices can strengthen creative outcomes and industry impact. Read more about the presenters below.
The session will cover a range of topics including:
The commercial benefits of inclusion
The 8 Pillars of Inclusion
How a production achieves Inclusively Made certification
Inclusive production in action (Austin S3 case study)
Inclusive tools
Supported through the ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund, Austin S3 is the first season of the much-loved comedy to be filmed in South Australia. The series is produced by Northern Pictures with Lincoln Pictures and SA’s Hardy White Pictures, with Michelle Hardy co-producing and Erin White directing episodes.
Inclusively Made is the certification standard for inclusive production in film, television and advertising. The organisation helps leaders embed disability inclusion from day one - not as an afterthought, but as a creative and cultural asset. Their certification and accreditation pathways are designed to empower brands, creative agencies and production companies to lead inclusion with confidence.
WHEN: Wednesday 2 September
Doors open 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start
WHERE: Adelaide Studios Screening Theatre
1 Mulberry Road Glenside 5065
Enter via rear atrium – refer to map below
COST: FREE – but registration is essential
ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION:
This event is wheelchair accessible. If you have any other access requirements, please let our team know in advance by emailing communications@safilm.com.au
CODE OF CONDUCT:
By engaging with SAFC’s resources, programs and staff, you are agreeing to abide by the “We’re Equal Statement of Commitment”.
SAFC is committed to treating everyone equally, regardless of their age, ability, gender diversity, sexuality, relationship and reproductive status, race, religion and culture. This means that we will ensure that our workplaces are a safe space for all people.
We have zero tolerance for discrimination or disrespectful behaviours, whether to or by members of the public, our employees, our volunteers, contractors and suppliers.
MAP:
About the presenter
Henry Smith – Co-founder; Inclusively Made
Henry Smith is the Co-founder of Inclusively Made, the industry standard for inclusive production. With a mission to champion the inclusion of people with disability at every stage of production, Henry works with leading brands, agencies and broadcasters to make inclusion BAU. An award-winning business leader and producer, Henry’s portfolio spans entertainment and commercial production, collaborating with clients such as P&O Cruises, National Geographic, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Sesame Street, ABC, BBC, Unilever, and Google. His innovative approach has earned him a reputation as a pioneer in inclusive storytelling and industry transformation. Henry's leadership has redefined standards for disability representation both on-screen and behind the camera, creating new pathways for disabled creatives throughout the arts sector.
Michelle Hardy – Co-Producer; Hardy White Pictures
Michelle Hardy is an award-winning screen content producer and co-founder of Adelaide-based production company Hardy White Pictures (HWP) alongside director Erin White. She brings over 25 years of industry experience spanning multiple formats and genres. Michelle is currently developing the HWP slate of scripted TV drama projects, including an 8x1hr Trans-Tasman dystopian romantic odyssey with Sky NZ. Michelle has also created and is writing two drama series. Since 2020, she has worked across industry programs and as a course convener and tutor for AFTRS, Screen Producers Australia (SPA), and The Mercury. Previously, Michelle served as Head of Production across two production companies and spent three years as VP of Scripted Development at Essential Media from 2017, where she spearheaded the development of the hit series Under the Vines. Having commenced producing scripted TV in 2013, her broadcast credits include co-producing Austin Series 3 (ABC), associate producing three seasons of the rom-com drama Under the Vines (AcornTV/TVNZ), and serving as line producer attachment on the drama Treasure and Dirt (ABC). Her producing background also includes the sketch comedy Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am (ABC/NBCU), the half-hour comedy Timothy (ABC), and the International Emmy® Award-winning series #7DaysLater (ABC). Before pivoting to scripted TV, Michelle was a producer across major factual series - including Seven Network’s The Great Outdoors and Better Homes and Gardens - and produced comedy entertainment series Back Seat Drivers for the ABC. Earlier in her career, she spent several years producing award-winning branded content campaigns for agencies, networks, and production companies in both the UK and Australia.
Joe Weatherstone – Scripted Creative Producer; Northern Pictures
Joe Weatherstone is an Australian film and television producer whose career spans comedy, drama, documentary, and children's television. A graduate of the Australian Film Television and Radio School, in 2003 she received an Academy Award nomination for the live-action short film Inja, which went on to screen at Sundance, Telluride, and the London Film Festival among dozens of others. Since then, Joe has built a genre-spanning body of work. She was series producer on the Logie-winning comedy Housos and Swift and Shift Couriers, and produced three feature films with director Paul Fenech. On the drama side, she produced Damien Power's critically acclaimed Killing Ground, which premiered at Sundance in 2017, and the same year produced the documentary The Go-Betweens: Right Here, winner of the Screen Producers Award for Best Feature Documentary. Joe's work in children's television has earned some of her biggest accolades: she series produced Hardball for ABC Me, which won the International Emmy for Best Children's Show, with its sequel series earning a further Emmy nomination. For the past three years, she has produced Austin (Series 1-3) for the ABC, starring Michael Theo, Sally Phillips, and Ben Miller - winner of the 2025 Screen Producers Award for Best Comedy. In 2024, Joe added author to her list of credits with the release of her debut middle-grade novel, Queen of Dogs. She is currently producing a new ABC drama series in Adelaide.
Shannon Wilson-McClinton – Co-Producer / Line Producer – Austin S1, 2 & 3; Northern Pictures
Producer Shannon Wilson-McClinton is a passionate storyteller with more than 30 years of experience across government, corporate, advertising, broadcast television, and feature films. An AFTRS Screen Business alumna, she has built a diverse career. Her feature film and documentary credits include line producer on the AACTA Award-nominated JOE CINQUE'S CONSOLATION (2015), co-producer of HEARTS AND BONES starring Hugo Weaving (2018), field director on David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockströms’ documentary BREAKING BOUNDARIES (2021), producer of 6 FESTIVALS(2021), co-producer of LIMBO directed by Ivan Sen and starring Simon Baker, (2022), producer of dark comedy AUDREY (2023) starring Hannah Diviney, and producer of Krunal Padhiar &Semara Joses’ documentary VOICE (2024) - joint winner of the audience award at MIFF 2024. Between 2023 and 2025, she expanded into television, serving as co-producer and line producer across Seasons 1–3 of Northern Pictures' comedy series AUSTIN. Known for her comprehensive production expertise, exceptional organisational skills, extensive industry relationships, and collaborative approach, Shannon brings energy, professionalism, and genuine passion to every project she undertakes.
Michael Theo – Actor
Michael Theo is an Australian actor, voice artist, and autism advocate best known for playing the title role in the ABC comedy-drama series Austin, alongside Ben Miller and Sally Phillips. His performance earned him a Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star recognition in 2024, and nominations for a Silver Logie and an AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Comedy in 2026. Michael first came to national and international attention as a break-out cast member of Love on the Spectrum, appearing across its first two seasons. The series' success on Netflix built him a global following, including a memorable guest appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He made his scripted acting debut in the Emmy-winning children's drama Hardball before landing the lead in Austin. Since then, Michael has continued to build a screen career, recently completing the comedy series Caper Crew for Easy Tiger/ABC and lending his voice to Shaun Tan's animated series Tales from Outer Suburbia, alongside Dawn French. Alongside acting, Michael works as an autism consultant with Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia) and hosts his own podcast, Mr A+. Born and raised in Wollongong, NSW, he brings a first-person perspective on neurodivergence and representation to every project he takes on, on-screen and off.
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