Welcome to our roundup of the key stories from performers’ unions and campaign bodies. Four times a year we’ll be checking in with Equity, BECTU and others to bring you everything you should know to be up-to-date.
New Equity president: “I want people to be frightened of us”
A month after winning unopposed, Equity’s new president Maureen Beattie said “I want people to be frightened of us, to be a bit scared of Equity.” Beattie, a veteran actor most recently seen in the Young Vic’s West End transfer of Yerma, is only the second female president in the union’s history after replacing Malcolm Sinclair. In an interview with the Guardian she said that although some people are “a little bit nervous” of Equity, “they need to be really scared and know that when we come after you, we really are coming after you if you do wrong to our members.”
As former vice president, Beattie formed a working group to combat sexual harassment in the industry and provide greater support to affected members. Now, as president, she is overseeing the Safe Spaces campaign, one outcome from the union’s Agenda For Change report, as well as urging actors to “harness the power of community” in order to overcome challenges within the industry. Beattie used one of her first addresses to advise actors to “wake up and make an effort” if they want to see change. Outgoing Sinclair used his last weeks as president to warn the industry “there’s a lot further to go” in terms of stopping harassment in the workplace. He suggested that, even if the culture of reporting harassment has shifted in the last year, drama school students are still vulnerable because they fear being labelled as “tricky” if they stand up to inappropriate behaviour. Sinclair was Equity president for eight years but did not stand for re-election, saying that eight years “is quite long enough, and a new energy and a fresh face are in order.”
Equity throws down the gauntlet to industry
Equity challenged West End bosses to overhaul working conditions, starting with actor job shares and stricter conditions around rehearsals. The proposals amount to real and progressive change for actors in the West End, with the union saying it will make working there more feasible for performers with families and caring responsibilities. Ideas to be discussed include a 6% increase on minimum rates of pay, banning rehearsals on Sundays and limiting initial rehearsal periods to Monday to Friday, enabling job shares, and encouraging flexible working and better conditions for cover performers and understudies.
The push comes just weeks after 42nd Street cast member Charlene Ford made history by becoming the first ever performer to job share in the West End. Ford returned from maternity leave to a role in the musical and now shares it with her former maternity cover, despite initial disagreement from producers. Equity said the agreement “is likely to set terms for several years into the future.” Alongside ensuring that roles are more flexible, the union is also seeking the introduction of a weekly travel fee of £32 for people who live 25–60 miles from central London and a £3,000 relocation fee for those moving to work in the West End. Other proposals include an eight-week minimum gap between show weeks requiring nine performances, as well as a clause making it possible for members to leave a long-running show after six months once they have completed an initial 12-month contract.
Equity has also promised to tackle the urgent issues arising from their annual conference, including the discrimination of LGBT+ actors and lack of rights for parents in performing arts. Tracy Brabin MP spoke on behalf of working parents, saying that the industry was “ill-equipped” to deal with childcare issues and that she was “fed up” of self-employed people being left behind by legislation. Union representatives from around the UK also committed to creating a set of best practices for casting and working with LGBT+ artists. Testimony was heard from a gay actor who had been told by a casting director to “keep the straight on” in his post-audition chat so as to better his chances of getting heterosexual roles. Members voted to create a steering group that will develop industry guidelines for casting directors.
At the Trades Union Congress in Manchester last month, Equity’s delegation made a strong showing by putting forward issues affecting performers and arguing the union’s position on Brexit, austerity and discrimination. Equity president Maureen Beattie put the first motion to the Congress on fighting sexual harassment in the creative industries, saying: “When the media spotlight moves on, Equity will still be there.” The delegation also included actor Bertie Carvel, speaking in favour of the motion on mental health. All motions involving Equity were passed unanimously.
READ: West End to Broadway: 1 Actor Talks His Key to Success
Crackdown on “exploitative” Edinburgh Fringe
Following a controversial job advert in June, BECTU and Equity vowed to challenge “exploitative” and unpaid work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with pay and conditions becoming the hot topic of the 2018 festival. Ahead of the month-long arts festival, unions pledged to support performers and backstage workers after adverts for unpaid skilled roles at Zoo Venues caused a stir on social media. The company, which this year ran six temporary spaces over the festival, asked for technicians to work for six weeks without pay. The roles advertised included accommodation, travel and some food expenses but no wages. Unpaid and volunteer labour is relatively common at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with performers often working for free or in profit share models. However BECTU’s Paul McManus told The Stage the Zoo advert was “outrageous.”
Although Zoo, joined by fellow venue Pleasance, said that unpaid roles offered “invaluable opportunities” and the chance to “train and make good industry contacts,” once the festival began unions were joined by campaign groups in calling for venues to start paying their way. Edinburgh’s year-round venue Summerhall became the first to sign up to paying staff fair wages and putting a stop to zero hour contracts, all part of Edinburgh Fringe Society’s Living Wage Code of Conduct.
At the tail end of the festival, campaign group Fair Fringe delivered their first annual Bad Boss awards. C Venues won two out of the three awards, voted for by staff members through an online form, and were awarded the Horrible Work Environment Award and The Rubbish Rotas Award. The group reported “having more complaints about C Venues than anywhere else," noting the "atrocious pay, exhausting hours, no breaks, bullying of staff and unfit accommodation.” Although the Fair Fringe campaign focuses on backstage and front of house workers, it’s vital for performers too – with health and safety, show support and reporting inappropriate behaviour to trained staff being priority demands.
READ: 5 Steps to Getting Started as a Presenter in the U.K.
New organisation to shine light on early-career harassment
A new harassment is launching to help performers and theatre professionals report sexual harassment at work, with a focus on new graduates. Houselights aims to provide drama school students with a working knowledge of the policies and processes around harassment before they enter the industry. With the support of more than 20 theatres, it launches next month with a free open forum evening at the Arcola Theatre.
Change network to represent black voices for union
Equity launched the Change Network, an initiative to ensure that union hears from and champions black members. The launch included talks from Young Vic artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, councillor and Ian Manborde, Equity’s equality and diversity organiser. Manborde commented on members’ outrage over Quentin Letts’ comments towards actor Leo Wringer, saying: “This is a prominent member of our union, and a well respected, classically-trained actor, working in a Royal Shakespeare Company production. If he is subject to these remarks, who will be safe from them?” The Change Network is available to Equity members.
Stars put their names to Acting Your Age campaign
Actors and figures from across the industry have put their names to a campaign seeking to highlight the “invisibility" of middle-aged women on stages and screens. Frances Barber, Ricky Gervais and Michael Sheen are among the supporters of the Acting Your Age campaign, launched by actor, writer and activist Nicky Clark.