Casarotto Ramsay & Associates appoints Sara Johnson and Julie Fernandez

Leading theatre, film and television agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates has announced the appointments of industry creative Sara Johnson and pioneering access coordinator and actor Julie Fernandez, co-founders of Bridge06, as it expands its commitment to disability representation across the UK Creative Industries.

Becoming full-time Casarotto Ramsay and Associates Agents, Johnson and Fernandez will continue in their industry defining work at the heart of the Casarotto family.  Beginning 4th December, Johnson and Fernandez will represent, train and develop talent, supporting all those with access requirements across the film, television and theatre industries.  Working closely with Casarotto’s HOD team, they will grow careers and create meaningful change with every production their Access Coordinators work within.

As one of the first pioneering Access Coordinators herself, Fernandez will lead on training and then representation for the raft of new Access Coordinators coming into the industry, ensuring that Casarotto are able to meet the growing demand for this vital role, which begins in development, runs throughout production and beyond.

In partnership with representing Access Coordinators, Johnson will continue her industry-wide work, leveraging the expertise and reach of Casarotto Ramsay & Associates to continue building meaningful change in the UK creative industries. Johnson will lead on supporting broadcasters, studios and other industry bodies to both underscore and understand the importance of an Access First approach, and ensure a cohesive, collaborative industry approach in this critical area.

With these appointments, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates is further strengthening its commitment to representing, developing and supporting talent, inclusive of all Access Requirements across the film, television, theatre and entertainment industries.  The agency already represents a range of leading (DDN) disabled, d/Deaf and neurodiverse talent including Jack Thorne, Genevieve Barr, Daneka Etchells, Annalisa Dinnella, Justin Edgar, Hope Dickson Leach, Ted Evans, Julia Jackman, Rupert Jones, and Rebekah Fortune.

Anna Higgs, Managing Director, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates said, “Casarotto has always represented the most exceptional talent in the most inclusive ways, and as such we have strong DDN representation in our client list.  Talking to Sara and Julie about their work to date and their ambitious vision for continuing to build an Access First industry presented an exciting opportunity to literally put our money where our mouth is and bring these exceptional industry experts and advocates into the team.”

“While some might simply host such a company, we at Casarotto felt it would be much more meaningful to fully integrate the training, consultancy and representation offer into the heart of our business.  The innovative bespoke approach of Casarotto is why I joined the Agency, and I’m really proud that this is the first big evolution to our team.  Being part of the BAFTA Awards Review in 2020, I heard powerful testimony on the critical issues facing DDN talent in front of and behind the camera, and to be a part of supporting meaningful commercial and creative change in this space is at once an honour and a no-brainer,” continued Higgs.

Sara Johnson said “Our creative industries play a significant part in reflecting and shaping our societies, and they can only do that if we have inclusive and representative practitioners working together to tell the best stories on stage and for screens of all sizes. Bridge06 was rooted in our belief that representation isn’t difficult, but that it takes commitment and fresh thinking to enact the practical and attitudinal changes necessary.  This is a belief shared by the Casarotto family and we couldn’t be more proud to be joining this trailblazing organisation.”

Julie Fernandez added “Being an Access Coordinator myself, I know how valuable this role can be to talent and crew alike. Sara and I will work in our new roles as Agents that strive to level the playing field in the theatre, film, television and entertainment industries. I’m so pleased to be a part of Casarotto’s commitment to ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities. Their renewed dedication to representation for deaf, disabled or neurodivergent people is a game-changer and I’m truly honoured to be a part of this new chapter.”

Founded by Sara Johnson in 2021, Bridge06 worked to bring an ‘Access First’ approach to the Media & Entertainment industries and beyond. Embedding in production and supporting the Access Coordinators they have trained, Sara and Julie have spent the last two years helping to educate all sides of the industry on the role and its value by giving webinars, talks and will continue to work closely with the many partner broadcasters from the TV Access Project.  In the UK they have worked with the Head of Productions group and standardised the contracting to help kickstart the emergence of the role on the ground, ensuring that the production community understand and embrace the power of the Access Coordinator role.

Most recently, Sara and Julie have taken their work global collaborating with the British Film Commission, the 1in4 Coalition in the US, training Access Coordinators for Screen Australia and the New Zealand Film Commission and spreading the word about the power of the Access Coordinator role as part of the movement for creating an Access First production industry worldwide.

Sara Johnson is an industry leading executive producer. With a career spanning over 25 years, Sara began as a script Editor at EastEnders (BBC), before moving to Sky as Head of Drama, La Plante Productions as Head of Development, Keshet Productions as Exec Producer and Head of Scripted Co-Productions, Vice President of Scripted at Fox Networks EMEA (21st Century Fox’s Television Network Business) and Creative Director at Endor Productions.

Julie Fernandez is an Actress, Campaigner and Consultant. Her 30 year acting career highlights include The Office, Eldorado, Holby City and Casualty. Julie has made documentaries and worked as a presenter alongside being a Disability Consultant. She founded The Disability Foundation charity in 1998 and was a foster parent for 5 years. Julie has been working full time as an Access Coordinator since April 2022 and has become the foremost expert in this role across HETV and all genres. She is committed to showing the industry the value of the Access Coordinator role and indeed the joy that it brings to her in this new phase of her career.

Access Coordinator positions were a key recommendation from new disability pressure group Underlying Health Conditions (UHC), forming part of their published report into accessibility for disabled professionals both in front of and behind the camera, ‘Everybody Forgot About the Toilets’. UHC founders include actor Genevieve Barr (Then Barbara Met Alan, The Fades, The Silence, Ralph & Katie), production manager Katie Player (Treason, Churchill) and producer Holly Lubran.

This expansion of the agency follows Anna Higgs’ appointment to Managing Director in September along with the creation of a new Advisory Board to provide the Board with additional insight, critical thinking, and analysis to further accelerate the strategic evolution and growth of the company. Founded in 1989, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates has an illustrious history, and represents many of the world’s best-known writers, directors, creatives, literary properties, and Heads of Departments in film, theatre, television and new media. The organisation is fiercely independent which allows the company to represent widely celebrated talent, as well as nurturing rising stars with individualised guidance and a personal touch.

With a 34-year history, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates’ Board of Directors comprises Jenne Casarotto, Giorgio Casarotto, Jodi Shields (Head of Film & Television), Mel Kenyon (Head of Theatre), Ian Devlin (Chief Operating Officer), Elinor Burns (Agent & Director), Rachel Holroyd (Consultant & Director) and now Anna Higgs (Managing Director).  A company always focused on the future of creative and commercial evolution, it has grown in scale over recent years, yet maintains its unique, bespoke approach thanks to the exceptional individuals that make up the team and the talent pool that team represents.

Casarotto Ramsay & Associates are also one of three founders of UK Production Company, AC Chapter One alongside Anonymous Content and United Agents.  AC Chapter One is committed to making quality, entertaining and original content for television and film, across all genres, broadcasters, and platforms. The company’s show Best Interests, written by Jack Thorne for BBC and Fifth Season, premiered recently.