Being a performer can sometimes be tough, and that’s why knowing your rights and having people you can rely on is so important. Unions, guilds, and professional organisations will have your back through whatever stage your career is at. You’ll pay for their support, but there really is strength in numbers, especially when it comes to negotiating pay deals, setting minimum wage levels, and ensuring safe working conditions.
Joining an organisation that knows about the unique quirks of your industry can also be great for your mental health. There’s no need to explain why you’ve chosen this particularly challenging career – everyone understands. It’s a ready-made support network, so it’s no wonder most UK creatives choose to sign up.
Here are just some of the main unions, guilds, and groups to consider.
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Founded in 1930, Equity is the main UK trade union for actors and performers of all kinds and currently has over 50,000 members. It has a well-earned reputation for fighting for the rights of its membership, negotiating pay rounds, and promoting better working conditions.
If you sign up, you can get access to free legal advice and public liability insurance, as well as membership in a union that has real industry clout. Among its many successful campaigns, Equity has fought for higher West End minimums and equal representation for female actors, and backed the theatre anti-harassment initiative #NotInOurHouse.
Fees are based on your income. (So Benedict Cumberbatch pays much more than an actor who is just starting out.) Annual subscriptions start at £168 for anyone earning less than £40k, and go up to £3,360 if you’re raking in £240k or over (well done if so!). There are also subsidised rates for anyone in education, over 66, or if you’ve graduated from an eligible drama course in the last two years.
To join, you need to prove you’ve earned over £750 or more from professional entertainment work. That means showing paperwork. Alternatively, you’ll have done a job with an Equity contract or are a member of another international acting union. You can find more details about its entry requirements on its website.
See Also: How to Join Equity in the UK
The Actors’ Guild (TAG) likes to say it is “actor built and actor led.” Set up in 2010, it’s a professional membership organisation that aims to support actors with training, career development, networking, and other industry resources. Unlike a union, it does not get involved with pay negotiations and employment rights.
It offers all sorts of discounts on actor-focused services like headshot sessions, accountants, and showreel editing, as well as running workshops with casting directors and movement coaches. If you’re an actor looking for hands-on guidance, chances are TAG will have a workshop to help.
To join up, you need to be over 18, be registered with Spotlight, and have at least four professional credits. There are two tiers of membership: £12 a year to get access to the discounts, or £24 if you also want to take its workshops. We’d call that a bargain either way.
As anyone who has been on a set will know, making a film takes a lot of people, and Shooting People (SP) is where you can meet them. Originally launched to champion the indie film scene, SP is now a thriving community resource dedicated to connecting film types and bringing their projects to life. Members get daily tailored bulletins featuring crew and casting calls, as well as info on events and funding. There’s also a busy discussion board where you can network with, and get advice from, fellow filmmakers. SP claims that its network uses the platform to cast and crew 200 films a week, so it’s worth checking out. Standard membership costs £9.95 a month while there’s a £5.95 reduced rate for students and low earners.
As the once-niche voiceover industry continues to boom, the VoiceOver Network offers resources, workshops, and networking events to voice actors around the world. For example, next year it’s running a conference in London aimed at professional voiceover artists who work in video games. More generally, it advertises itself as a “community where you can connect with professionals from across the industry including producers, agents, sound engineers, and casting directors.” It offers a sliding scale of membership packages, ranging in price from free to $200/month. Remember, Equity also represents voice actors, so if you need help with pay negotiations, contractual issues, or anything legal, then Equity might be a good first stop.
Once seen primarily as a networking group, WFTV is open to any woman working in the film or TV industry, including actors, producers, directors, costume designers, or any role at all! They run an extensive events programme and offer mentoring schemes, workshops, and bursary initiatives. WFTV also has an annual awards ceremony celebrating women in film and TV, tickets for which “sell out in minutes”! Joining WFTV costs £100 a year plus VAT. You’ll be joining starry industry names such as Helen Mirren, Gurinder Chadha, and Barbara Broccoli on the membership list.
In this age of multihyphenate creatives, many actors are also writers and directors or have other innovative outlets. So it’s worth considering other unions that could be helpful. Bectu represents workers in backstage, broadcast, and technical roles, but might be useful especially if you’re involved in production or do voiceover work.
Equally, take a look at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) if you write your own material or do any standup, for example. WGGB members get access to advice on contracts, intellectual property, and copyright. Also, the Musicians’ Union is well worth investigating if you’re musically inclined.
