In the 1970s in black and Asian households up and down the country, there’s a familiar story that when we saw a non-white person on TV we would call the rest of the family to the sitting room to have a look. The story that is less well known is what it was like to be that one black person on TV. That one person was often me and it was a very lonely experience.

Thankfully, 45 years since my career began, a lot has changed. It is now common to see black and Asian people on our TV screens, although progress still needs to be made. However, in many ways I am even lonelier now as a black person working in TV and film than I was back then. That is because I am now more often working behind the scenes, behind the camera as a producer and a writer – and just like those bad old days in the 1970s in front of the camera, I am still all too often the only black person in the room.

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Here are some statistics that show how bad things are: only 2.3% of UK television is made by directors from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background. Just think about that for a second: if I am lucky enough to be involved in 100 TV programmes, 97 of them will have a white director.

According to the British Film Institute, only 3% of people who work behind the camera in the film industry are from racial minorities.

Also under-represented are women: over the last decade they made up just 13.6% of working film directors. And only 0.3% of the total UK film workforce are disabled. That’s well short of the 18% of people in Britain who consider themselves disabled.

These statistics are dire. Equal representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people among staff would truly reflect Britain’s diversity and is vital for our democracy and for the very fabric of our society.

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It is wrong if how we see women on TV is largely determined by male directors. It is wrong if nearly every time we hear a black or Asian actor portraying their lives they are actually speaking the words of someone who has never experienced their reality. And to effectively silence disabled people from telling their own truth on film or TV is close to criminal and will not help wider society understand their reality.

For years now I have been campaigning with others to change our industry. Despite good words from politicians and a string of training programmes and diversity initiatives launched by almost every major broadcaster, the situation has not improved in any significant way. Which is why major industry figures in film and television – from Bafta winner Chiwetel Ejiofor to Britain’s largest broadcast workers’ union, Bectu – have come together to demand real action. Together, we are calling for the government to provide tax breaks to promote representation behind the camera.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘Major industry figures in film and television – from Bafta winner Chiwetel Ejiofor to Britain’s largest broadcast workers’ union, Bectu, have come together to demand real action.’ Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Why are we calling for tax breaks? The simple answer is, unlike all the initiatives that have been shown to fail time and time again, tax breaks work. Tax breaks have been shown to stimulate the film and television industry and increase employment. In 2016, an estimated £632m in tax relief stimulated £3.2bn of direct production spend. In other words – for every £1 of tax break offered, the industry grew by £5. That’s a great return on investment.

Not only that, with the current tax breaks, employment levels in the sector have grown 5% year on year to almost 2 million people, compared with just 1.2% growth for the wider job market. These are great results.

Imagine growing by 5% year on year the number of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people directing films, producing TV programmes and working behind the scenes. There would be a seismic change to how British media looks and feels.

We are suggesting taking a system that is already working very well, and adapting it to increase these diversity numbers. We are calling the system “representation tax relief”. It would reduce the taxes on UK film and television productions that meet certain criteria for women, ethnic minorities or disabled people working behind the camera.

Versions of what we are asking for are already being rolled out in some US states. Earlier this year, the French film council approved a 15% bonus for films where women are in key “behind-the-scenes” roles – such as director, director of photography or head of production. And for those who think we can’t afford another tax cut, an existing industry tax scheme brought in an extra £2bn to the Treasury. Representation tax relief would create jobs and help the economy.

After a long 40 years, we have successfully got to the point where black people are no longer shocked to see another black person on TV. With representation tax relief I hope we can even more quickly get to the point where people like me are no longer surprised to see another black person working behind the camera, a disabled person producing a programme, or a woman sitting in the director’s chair. Now that will be progress.

• Lenny Henry is an actor, writer and producer