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.
Screen Scotland and Edinburgh Fringe team up
Scotland’s film and TV funding body has teamed up with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to connect screen producers with the wealth of exciting new talent on display over August. The scheme will try to echo the success of previous Edinburgh shows like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, which began at the Fringe before landing a London run and eventually becoming a hit TV series.
Screen Scotland is piloting the new scheme throughout August and aiming resources at helping major producers to scout for talent and see new work across the festival’s many stages. While informal scouting for talent happens throughout the Fringe, it’s believed this is the first time a funding body has helped producers navigate the thousands of shows on offer. Identifying successful productions and following conversations across the month, the initiative will offer to curate itineraries for producers and will host networking events across the city. Read more here.
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Westminster hears how to break the ‘class ceiling’ for performers
Leading theatre figures were in Westminster last week to give evidence on the barriers to careers in the arts sector, led by a group of MPs including former actor Tracy Brabin. The all-parliamentary group saw evidence from Equity, Society of London Theatre (SOLT), and UK Theatre as well as campaign groups and individuals, all focusing on the “class ceiling,” a term to describe performers from low-income or working-class backgrounds being priced out of the industry.
Julian Bird of SOLT and UK Theatre warned the inquiry that unpaid work was a major barrier to those looking to gain a foothold in the industry, with the number of people working without pay increasing from 16% to 30% over the past 20 years. Bird also argued for MPs to protect the arts in education, something echoed by others giving evidence.
Sarah Jackson, chair of Parents & Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA) told the inquiry that clarity over work schedules was crucial for organising childcare and called for the industry to get better at planning for families. She also stressed the importance of flexible working, saying it “should be a day-one right” for performers and creatives.
The Creative Diversity All Party Parliamentary Group will publish their findings in the coming months.
Open Door launches new initiative, plus applications open now
Open Door, the award-winning initiative to help those without the financial resources apply for drama school, has teamed up with Leicester Curve, Derby Theatre, and The Nottingham Playhouse for Ignite, a series of Q&As about employment opportunities within film, television, and theatre. Inspiring young people to pursue careers in the creative industries, the events are taking place this autumn alongside Open Door’s eight-month intensive course, now in its second year. Applications are open for aspiring actors aged between 18–26 and those wanting to work in off-stage roles aged 17–26 and based in London, Essex, Sheffield, Rotherham, and the East Midlands. Read more here.
Theatres urged to employ more BAME actors
Equity’s minority ethnic member’s committee has urged theatres to employ more BAME actors instead of employing actors from outside the EU, claiming that BAME performers are “locked out” of castings in favour of those with international profiles. Read more here.
READ: Theatres Decide Action Plan to Diversify Staff
Data reveals gender pay gap at the Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 had a gender pay gap of 60%, with women earning an average of £326 and men an average of £523 across the festival, according to a new report. The first major study from data activists and theatre company Power Play surveyed 145 respondents, covering 1,483 workers at the festival last year and found women were paid on average £195 less than male counterparts. The group argued their data showed women’s work at the fringe is “undervalued and under-rewarded.” Polly Kemp, co-founder of ERA 50:50 said the findings proved “the fringe disproportionately discriminates against women, making it extremely difficult to sustain their work beyond Edinburgh.”
Power Play’s figures show just how little performers are paid at the Fringe, with a previous report finding the average earnings for performers at the festival was just £400 for around six weeks of work and that 38% of practitioners last year were unpaid. The group also found women made up the majority of those on and off stage at the festival, totalling 60% of all workers. The activists claim the amount of women at the Fringe shows “a leak in the pipeline between the fringe’s pool of emerging talent and top-level theatre” where women are underrepresented.
Survey shows London private schools outshine West End theatres
A Sunday Times study has revealed London’s private schools host 59 theatre venues compared to the 42 stages in the West End, with many school theatres kitted out with technology and design “that would be the envy of some of the older London venues.” The findings highlight the disparity of facilities on offer in Britain’s state schools against those in the private sector.
Black and trans women and non-binary theatre folk celebrate visibility
Last week saw over 250 black women, trans women and non-binary theatre folk come together for a historic photo shoot. Called #wearevisible, the event assembled people to “share and celebrate their experiences”, echoing A Great Day in Harlem. Read more here.
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