Developments in the business of acting are not always front-of-mind for time-pressed creatives, yet can have a major impact on how their careers develop. That’s why we’ve created The Business, a series to help UK actors and performers stay updated on the key stories that will affect the nuts and bolts of their professional lives.
Fringe must take harassment and assault seriously.
Equity is leading calls to better protect performers at the Edinburgh Fringe from harassment and sexual assault, with union boss Maureen Beattie saying performers are “not literally up for grabs.” The calls follow reports from individual performers and a record number of incidents involving harassment in public and in venues reported to Equity over this August, many from women harassed while flyering shows. Beattie told the BBC that a “slight level of hysteria” at the Fringe “seems to release this kind of underbelly of bad behaviour” but stressed “it is completely and utterly unacceptable,” adding: “We are a workforce, and you must respect us.”
Maddie Ross, a writer and performer with Girl Code Theatre, told The Guardian she was sexually assaulted while promoting her show about sexual assaults in nightclubs. Flyering in underwear on the Royal Mile, Ross reported that “some groups of men would shout abuse, catcall or take pictures” and that while flyering alone she was assaulted by a passerby.
Campaign group Fair Fringe has claimed venues and employers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are not taking sexual harassment and assault at the festival seriously. Along with Equity, it is calling on employers to implement sexual harassment policy and protect staff and performers.
READ: What Is the Edinburgh Festival + Why Does It Matter?
‘Totally unacceptable’ casting call asks for ‘no overweight children’
Spotlight has apologised for a “totally unacceptable” casting call that appeared on its platform. The call, seeking a child actor for a Milka commercial, said the commercial was seeking a “beautiful and angelic” nine to 11-year-old girl but also stated she “must not have reached puberty” and specified “no red hair” and “no overweight children.” Posted by a casting director on behalf of the chocolate brand, the brief was amended following widespread criticism on social media and later removed.
Actor and producer Helen Raw shared the casting breakdown on Twitter, leading to many major newspapers picking up on the story. Raw called the wording “appalling” and “more than a bit creepy,” telling The Stage: “It perpetuates the whole issue that women in particular are there to look nice or be a certain way, and ‘if you don’t look like this, you can’t sell our product.’ ”
Equity described the casting call as “disturbing” and welcomed its removal. In a statement, Equity’s Matt Hood said the union was in dialogue with Spotlight, who apologised unreservedly for the posting, and that “while an extreme example, it is indicative of the wider issues around the lack of respect for creative workers in the entertainment industry.” “Casting requests too often contain inappropriate language and attitudes that would not be seen in job adverts for any other industry.” Read more here.
Actors given card to tackle ‘intrusive’ audition questions
Performers are to be given advice on how to handle “intrusive questions” at auditions as part of a push by Equity to protect actors. The union claim the guide will help stop unlawful or discriminatory behaviour at auditions by detailing what questions should not be asked and how to report those who ask them. Equity said that women could be asked for “inappropriate personal information” and stressed that subjects such as age, disability, marital status, and sexual orientation were inappropriate at interviews. The “casting questions card” from Equity also makes clear that race, religion, and gender reassignment are out-of-bounds subjects.
Kelly Burke, from Equity’s Women’s Committee, said that being asked about certain subjects can be stressful “because you know that any answer you give (say, telling someone your real age versus playing age) could lose you the job.” Burke made clear that “this kind of information is protected under the Equality Act” and that actors should not be expected to disclose any information they wouldn’t be asked about “in any other kind of job interview.” Read more here.
READ: What Is Equity + Why Should You Care?
‘Deep concern’ at state of arts journalism
Entertainment unions have published an open letter expressing “deep concern” at the decline of arts journalism and the impact this will have on the creative industries. Coming after the loss of some high profile arts critics and the decline in reporting across creative industries, the letter was jointly signed by the heads of BECTU, Equity, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, the Musicians’ Union, and the National Union of Journalists – representing some 141,000 workers across industries. Addressed to culture secretary Nicky Morgan and editors of major publications, it calls for editors to “recognise the valuable contribution of the arts industry” and for Morgan to table discussions with the media about coverage of the arts.
The letter says the unions believe a “properly-funded arts media is vital to supporting theatre, film, and TV productions” and quotes figures from The List magazine that show the number of Edinburgh reviews in eight major national and arts titles dropped from 5,134 in 2012 to 3,169 in 2017. The letter argues that without “critics on the ground...where will the stars of the future be found if we cannot read about up-and-coming actors, writers, and directors?” Read more here.
Show ‘kept from audiences’ by listing
Hot Coals, a theatre company specialising in work for d/Deaf audiences, has claimed the Edinburgh Fringe’s access criteria is no longer fit for purpose after their show was listed in the “hearing not needed” category of the festival. Knock Knock, the show in question, creates its own “visual and universal language” for audiences, but the company claim the piece is being kept from audiences by not being listed as accessible in the brochure and online.
Performer Clare-Louise English said the Fringe was stopping the play “from reaching the very audience it was intended for,” stressing that the Fringe’s access criteria must become more flexible for artists and companies. English argued that the criteria were “playing catch-up with what’s happening in the industry,” adding that there is “no clarity” of what “hearing not needed” means for audiences. The Fringe Society said the category was designed to make “searching for suitable shows easier for D/deaf or hard of hearing audiences” and that it was the result of consultation with d/Deaf audience members.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie reportedly cancels extras with days notice
A whistleblower has claimed around 600 extras had work cancelled just days before filming. According to The Star, they had been booked for a street party scene to close the film, with filming due to take place on 23 August. However, extras agency Piece of Cake reportedly told performers they were no longer required, with their roles being filled by up to 6,000 unpaid people invited to a “party” by the production company. Equity is investigating.
Equity petition to tackle spiralling Edinburgh rent
Equity has launched a petition to tackle the spiralling cost of accommodation at the Edinburgh Fringe. A survey of members found the typical price for shared accommodation had risen to between £800 and £2,000 this year and are calling on the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Council to work with the union and make better provision for performers. Read more here.
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