The Dumping Ground is an extremely inclusive show with a very diverse cast. There are a number of cast members with disabilities as well as cast members from diverse backgrounds including Black, Mixed-race, Chinese and Filipino actors.
The Tracy Beaker franchise has always showcased incredibly talented disabled actors and actresses and The Dumping Ground is no exception. In Tracy Beaker Returns and the earlier series of The Dumping Ground Chris Slater starred as Frank. He has Cerebal Palsy which affects his speech and walking. During series 2 we see him live independently in his own flat and in series 5 he returned briefly in the series finale and was employed by the local council. Dumping Ground actress Hannah Moncur has Transverse Myelitis and as a result is a wheelchair user. She plays the character of Chloe who was paralysed in a childhood accident. She is seen to be a strong and independent character, her disability doesn’t stop her joining in with all the same activities as the other kids and she is shown to be caring, kind and helpful to other residents. Whilst we are given a backstory to her character that explains her disability, this is the focus of just two episodes. Outside of these episodes her storylines don’t centre on her disability at all. The realities of living with a disability and necessary adaptations within the home, are shown with Ryan measuring the communal areas to check that Chloe’s wheelchair can get through, a ramp added to the entrance of the home and special matting on the grass so that Chloe can access the garden. She also references having her own bathroom and has a room on the ground floor which she shares with Candi Rose.
Dumping Ground actor Ruben Reuter has Down Syndrome and plays much loved character Finn. Finn was put into care the day he was born and arrived at the Dumping Ground after Ryan rescues him and Harry from a nasty foster family. His disability has never been directly referenced and hasn’t been the main focus of any of his storylines. Annabelle Davis, who has a form of dwarfism called Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita, plays Sasha Bellman and was recently nominated for a BAFTA for her performance in the show. Sasha is fiercely independent and very creative: a talented artist and keen blogger. Her disability is rarely mentioned and is not part of her back story. In addition there have been a number of other disabilities shown in the Dumping Ground including Aspergers Syndrome (Gus Carmichael) and Dyslexia (Bailey Wharton).
Disability does not define any of these characters and they are just as important to the storylines as their able bodied peers. The character’s disabilities are never the main focus and there are so many other aspects to their characters shown in their interesting back stories and strong friendships. In comparison to other tv programmes, their disabilities take a back seat and they are very much treated the same as the other characters. These characters are certainly not there to meet a quota, but to enrich and diversify the show.
Where disability is brought up as a storyline it delves into societal attitudes about disability. The series 4 storyline surrounding Mo’s discovery that he was taken away from his biological parents who have cerebral palsy because they struggled to cope raising him, raises questions about inclusion of disabled people in society, disabled parents and loving someone no matter what their abilities or appearance. Similarly the storyline focusing on Harry being fostered by a couple with dwarfism who were originally chosen as potential foster parents for Sasha highlights that disabled people can foster/adopt children who don’t have disabilities and provide a loving home. It demonstrates that integration of disabled and able bodied people in society is key, there is no reason why we cannot coexist together within a family unit and within society as a whole and challenges narrowminded views that you should be fostered/adopted by someone that has the same physical, cultural or ethnic characteristics.
The diverse cast includes actors from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and this has allowed different cultures to be explored in the show. May-li’s Chinese heritage was explored in series 3 when her Grandmother Popo visited the DG and her Liverpudlian upbringing has also been referenced at times, similarly Kazima’s Somalian heritage was celebrated in Series 4 Episode 7 Submarine when she doesn’t want a birthday party so the DG kids throw a party to celebrate a Somalian singer instead. More recently we learnt that Taz is of Filipino heritage when she started singing a Filipino song in her sleep.
Racism was brought up in the series 2 episode Sticks and Stones when Bailey’s football coach makes racist remarks. Bailey is originally unwilling to tell Mike and May-Li what happened and only reveals to Faith that his coach made racist remarks towards him. Faith encourages him to speak with Mike and May-li and Mike confronts the coach. There have also been storylines focused on refugees and immigration, largely centring around Kazima Tako. Kazima is a somalian refugee who was living on the streets until she met Frank who introduced her to Ashdene Ridge and she later became a resident. It is revealed that Kazima entered the country illegally, so Mike helps her seek asylum. Kazima has to undergo an age assessment to prove that she is a minor and therefore has the right to stay in the UK. During this process there is debate amongst the DG kids as to whether Kazima should be allowed to stay with Bailey commenting that immigrants take jobs and opportunities from locals. But when he learns of Kazima’s harrowing experiences in Somalia and her journey to the UK, Bailey’s attitude changes.
There have also been LGBT storylines including Gus being fostered by a gay couple, which leads to debate amongst the DG kids with Johnny believing gay adoption was not ok and other kids including Elektra arguing that gay couples have just as much right as anyone else to adopt. Other characters highlight that their straight parents haven't been good parents and the most important thing is having loving caring parents not their sexuality. Careworker May-li is gay and in series 3 it is revealed that her Grandmother doesn't approve of her relationship with partner Alice and doesn't' consider her adopted children as family. She later changes her mind and accepts May-li and her family. More recently in series 6 May-li gave birth to a baby boy and when questioned by Sid about how two women could have a baby she answers simply: Well, we needed a little help, but we decided the baby would grow in my tummy. It is great to see that LGBT parenting isn't questioned when May-li reveals her pregnancy and the question of how the baby was conceived was handled so simply.
The Dumping Ground is very inclusive with a diverse cast that encapsulates the diversity within the UK population. All characters are treated equally irrespective of their differences. Disabled characters are not defined by their disabilities, and their disabilities are treated as the norm rather than something different or unusual or limiting. A diverse cast of actors from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds has allowed issues such as racism and immigration to be tackled and other cultures to be explored. It is fantastic that a children’s show demonstrates inclusion of people from all backgrounds and with different abilities and promotes tolerance, inclusion and respect.
As Dumping Actor Connor Byrne has stressed inclusion is at the heart of the Dumping Ground: “ All of our cast members, past and present, were included not just visible.” Every actor is fully included and every character is integral to the show irrespective of disability or ethnic background or sexuality. It has not been about making underrepresented groups visible by having a disabled or BAME actor in the background, but by fully including them in the show and using their characters and storylines to promote inclusive and respectful attitudes and provide opportunities to explore current issues and prejudices.
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