EquityUK Magazine - Summer 2017 by Caron Lyon

SUMMER 2017 www.equity.org.uk

Can social media boost your career? Jimmy Cricket joins Celebrate Variety 2017 Update from the Stop Arts Cuts campaign

The art of self-taping UNION LAUNCHES GUIDE TO HELP MEMBERS AUDITION

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Contents News

04 Training scheme agreed 06 Unknown funds

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26 Stop Arts Cuts 28 Celebrate Variety 2017

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08 Meet the membership 30 Letters 32 Branch update

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18 Social media guide 24 TUC round-up

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Self-taping tips

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PMPP signs another

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Equity wins award

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FRONT OF HOUSE

UPFRONT

EQUITY AND SPOTLIGHT AGREE NEW TRAINING STRUCTURE FOLLOWING THE DEMISE OF DRAMA UK, EQUITY AND SPOTLIGHT STEP IN TO HELP STUDENTS PROGRESS CAREERS FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS Equity has recognised that graduates from a number of performing arts courses can join Equity as full members without the need for evidence of paid professional work. This recognition has largely been made on the basis of external accreditation by other bodies such as Drama UK, the Council for Dance Education & Training (CDET) and Conservatoires UK. However, the demise of Drama UK in 2016 removed that external accreditation from most UK drama courses, and while Equity continued to recognise the historical list of courses, the situation facing students created a good deal of uncertainty. In addition to Equity, Spotlight also relied on Drama UK accreditation to define the courses whose graduates are eligible for their graduate and professional directories. In order to remove the uncertainty for students and to create a clear universal standard, Equity and Spotlight have been working together to define an agreed set of criteria that will be used to identify the courses whose graduates will be eligible for both Equity and Spotlight membership. The following criteria were endorsed by the Council and will define the recognised courses: Vocational training courses for performers, practical

rather than theoretical Equivalent to NQF level 4 / SQF level 6 Qualification issued by a ‘recognised body’ Contact hours in excess of 30 hours per week No more than 35 students in a class, 30 weeks in a year of instruction Course offers a professional showcase opportunity – attended by industry

Course offers Professional Development programme with industry engagement Access to professional facilities Clear commitments on safeguarding, bullying/harassment and diversity Equity and Spotlight will now jointly write to other industry partners, including the BBC, ITV and UK Theatre/SOLT, to endorse the criteria.

Union appoints new Scotland & Northern Ireland organiser EQUITY HAS APPOINTED Adam Adnyana (pictured) as the new Scotland & Northern Ireland organiser. He will replace Drew McFarlane, who will retire after 25 years’ service with Equity. Adam’s previous employment includes as a case worker for Unison and regional officer/assistant secretary for Accord. Adam will work alongside his fellow organiser Lorne Boswell and Marlene Curran, recruitment and retention organiser, in the union’s Glasgow office, which you can reach on 0141 248 2472.

www.equity.org.uk

NI contributions set to increase THERE WAS GOOD NEWS following the government’s U-turn on the Class 4 National Insurance hike; however, the abolition of Class 2 National Insurance is still in the pipeline. This is alongside increases in the cost of voluntary national insurance payments for those who are below the Small Profits Threshold (SPT), currently £6,025. These changes are due from April 2018 and would mean that members who wish to make voluntary contributions would pay Class 3s at £14.25 per week rather than Class 2s at £2.85 per week (based on current rates), a huge increase which the union has strongly opposed and continues to lobby on. From 2018 benefit entitlement will accrue mainly through Class 4 contributions for the self-employed. We will be posting a briefing on national insurance on Equity’s website soon.

Referendum result THE RESULTS OF THE REFERENDUM to determine whether three of Equity’s rules should be changed has been announced. The first proposed change dealt with Equity’s election processes and will allow Equity branches to nominate candidates for election to the Council; 69% of voters were in favour of this. The second change allows the Equity Council to determine the upper age limit for a member wanting to stand for election to the Young Members seat on Council; 81% of voters were in favour of this. The third change is the rule governing the retirement of the Equity General Secretary. The rule change was needed because the previous rule regarding retirement age was no longer legal; 91% of voters were in favour of this. The number of members who voted was 2314; 6% of the total who were eligible. Download the full results of the Referendum from Equity’s website: www.equity.org.uk/referendum2017

Christine Payne General Secretary

As the daughter of a club performer, the 50-year celebrations of the Variety Artistes’ Federation joining Equity is particularly special to me THIS YEAR WE CELEBRATE 50 years since the Variety Artistes’ Federation (VAF) and Equity became one union. At the London Palladium on Tuesday 16 May, Jimmy Cricket and Amy Lamé will host an event that will bring variety branches and members, former VAF members and stalwarts of variety entertainment together to reminisce and rejoice that variety is still very much alive and kicking in Equity. The VAF and Equity were trade unions started by the leading performers – the stars – of the day. In 1907 the VAF Music Hall strike sought to get improvements to basic terms and conditions. These included improvements to barring clauses, matinee payments, transferring performers to different music halls and towns and to stop the practice of commission being taken when no agent was involved in the booking – the managers deducted the 5% and kept it themselves. Marie Lloyd, a huge star who demanded major fees supported the strike, performed on picket lines and took part in fundraising activities for which she donated her entire fee to strike funds. She said: “We the stars can dictate our own terms. We are fighting not for ourselves but for the poorer members of the profession earning 30 shillings to £3 a week. For this they have to do double turns, and now matinees have been added as well. These poor things have been compelled to submit to unfair terms of employment and I mean to back the Federation in whatever steps are taken.” The strike lasted two weeks and ended in arbitration that satisfied most of the VAF’s main demands. In September 1929 a musical comedy, Open your Eyes, collapsed on tour in Glasgow with the promoter ‘doing a runner’ with the takings and leaving the actors penniless and stranded. In October, leading actress Marie Burke, who had been in the cast, organised a meeting at the Duke of York’s Theatre at which more than 1,500 actors attended and the foundations of Equity were set. The meeting was also attended by John Emerson from American Actors’ Equity, who said that: “There is no chance whatever of maintaining an actors’

position in theatre and defending those rights except through, and by, one single powerful organisation.” A brief history of the VAF and Equity is being prepared by Louise Grainger, Equity’s marketing, events and training officer, and will be launched at the event at the London Palladium. However, what is perfectly clear

The VAF and Equity were trade unions started by leading performers” is that a strong trade union for performers is as necessary now as it ever was and that for it to be the single organisation performers need it must involve and be led by its members. I believe the pioneers of the VAF and Equity would be proud that the following generations of performers have worked together to build the union we now have and the agreements and benefits of membership we are able to provide. I have a very personal interest in celebrating variety because this was my first experience of live performance. My dad was a welder who at night sang in the clubs in the north west of England. He had a great voice and got lots of bookings. I remember sitting with him while he rehearsed with his drummer and pianist. When I got good enough I would play the piano and he would sing. He later became a trade union official and I know that his years on the club circuit were one of the drivers that motivated him to want to improve the lives of working people. So at the event on the 16 May I will be reminiscing as both a trade unionist and as the daughter of a club act. I know it will recharge my determination to work to improve the professional working lives of our members – all 42,000 of you!

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FRONT OF HOUSE

In brief... Annual Conference Channel 4 future

union’s 2015has Annual The government launched a public Representative Conference will be the consultation focused on Increasing in LondonImpact on 17 and 18 May.4.The Regional of Channel deadline forare motions onand the Responses soughtisbynoon 5 July 12 March and to forrespond amendments details of how are on the noon onwebsite 17 April. DCMS viaThe this2016 link:ARC will take place in Bristol on 21, 22 www.equity.org.uk/Channel4future and 23 May. The consultation rules out the privatisation of Channel 4 at this time but is seeking views on how the channel can make an even greater The union has an and contribution toreached the nations interim agreement BBC regions, focusing onwith threethe core Minimum the feesextent for main artistsC4 are questions: to which up by 2.5% and supporting artists should be based outside London; and walk-ons have also shown been on whether morefees programmes increased The agreement C4 shouldby be1%. made outside London; also whether includes C4 a pre-purchase of to and should be able certain rights. The deal in is effective take larger investments production from 1 October 2014. the development companies to support of emerging talent.

This truly tremendous donation will help so many in the industry in their hour of need ”

BBC deal

Exhibit B show Equity stronglyTax opposes Making Digital

Thanks to Equity’s effective lobbying, censorship and is extremely the contentious Making concerned that this showTax Digital plan has been dropped. proposals was forced to close. TheThe union’s for digital reporting record consistent position isand that it keeping the requirement to supportsincluding artistic freedom make quarterly submissions of income, of expression. expenditure and net profit have been removed from the Finance Bill 2017.

Pobol y Cwm award Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm Conference has received a special access Bafta

Equity’s Deaf Disabled Members honouring the&show’s 40th Committee anniversary.and TheEquity awardstaff was have worked together to improve access at presented at an event at Roath this Annual Conference. Lockyear’s Studios in Cardiff Bay. Equity’s Council approved a modest Hannahalso Raybould, director of increase to thepresented conference Bafta Cymru, thebudget to providetoramps and handrails, accolade actor Gareth Lewis, digital signing,itbigger staging and who accepted on behalf of the an castextra and lecturn. crew.

UNKNOWN FUNDS ALLOCATED FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL HIGH COURT RULING ON UNKNOWN FUNDS, EQUITY’S COUNCIL AGREES THE PROJECTS THAT WILL BENEFIT MEMBERS

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION for Performing Arts Medicine, new work on industrial and equalities campaigns, and branch and committee projects will all benefit from Equity’s Council decision on the allocation of the ‘unknown funds’. In 2005, £1.3m was discovered in Equity’s accounts and despite extensive research, which included a team of forensic accountants, the source of the money has never been accurately

discovered. A high court judgment settled the issue which concluded that £800,333 would go to the general benefit of members and £177,851.86 would each be given to Denville Hall, the Royal Theatrical Fund (RTF) and the Royal Variety Charity. Robert Lindsay, president of the RTF said: “This truly tremendous donation will help so many in the industry in their hour of need, both now and in the future.”

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US network Free training

Following a tough round, Equity’s West Coastbidding network in the Equity and the of US is having anFederation event to connect Entertainment Unions haveor secured with fellow members living ongoing funding via working government in Los Angeles or nearby. UnionLearn to continue free It will take place on 5 November, workshops, e-courses, and 7.30pm – 10.30pm andresources the venue webinars members forRiverside another is Timmy for Nolan’s bar on year. Drive,Information CA 91602. and booking at: www.feutraining.org

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SUMMER 2017

If you, or a fellow member, has difficulty in reading printed material the Equity magazine is also available as an audio file on CD or data stick. To receive it, contact the RNIB via: Donna Gordon, donna.gordon@rnib.org.uk 01733 375106 www.equity.org.uk

SUMMER 2017

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MEET THE MEMBERSHIP

And there’s more...

“When you start it’s one of the goals to get little gimmicks that generate interest”

Comedian Jimmy Cricket is a variety star. He worked as a Butlin’s Redcoat, honed his craft on the northern club circuit before breaking through to TV. And he’s not finished yet

When did you know you wanted to be a comedian? Since I was a young child. My folks had a shop in Belfast and part of the layout went into our living quarters. So I used to appear and entertain the customers from when I was a toddler and moved on to doing impersonations to amuse them. My dad also took me to the Variety shows, which gave me a taste for show business. The top of the bill, such as Max Bygraves, Dickie Valentine or Lonnie Donegan, only did about half an hour. The whole show was packed with jugglers, acrobats, comedians etc. As my friend Roy Hudd says, it was two and a quarter hours of pure escapism.

Did you enjoy your early days as a Redcoat? I really did. The big thing about all the Butlin’s was that there was a custom-built theatre, with an orchestra! My first break was in the ‘gang shows’, where the Redcoats took over from the main act for one show a week. In some ways you had an advantage over the headline act as you were on a first-name basis with most of the audience because you had been talking to them all week. Looking back, I think about what a visionary Billy Butlin was. Remember, this all started in the late 1930s. He sees a family getting thrown out of a guesthouse at 10am in the morning in the pouring rain to walk the streets and he thinks: “Let’s create a place where they can have entertainment all day.”

How did you develop your comedy style? After working at Butlin’s in Ireland I got transferred to Clacton-on-Sea and met Bill Martin, the entertainment manager. He saw something in me and said: “You’re a character comedian, Jimmy, you’ve got to listen and learn while you’re here.” He put me into the shows and he told

me an amazing thing when the season ended. I was heading for London, but he said: “What are you going to London for? That’s for West End stars, you’re a stand-up, get up north, all the clubs are there.” He was right, as they were in the late 1960s.

How did you develop your character’s look such as the evening trousers, the dinner jacket and the hat? It was a slow evolution. I started out just hitting the audience with gags and one-liners. It was really trial and error. I realised that it goes easier if you can get a laugh at the start and that it often works visually. You can see it in many acts such as Bobby Ball and his braces. The wellingtons were inspired by a famous music-hall comedian called Billy Bennett. He would dress immaculately and then wear a pair of big brown boots. My first TV break was Search for a Star, where I wore a white dress jacket. However, when I did The Good Old Days, from the City Varieties, they wanted me to dress a bit Edwardian. So I wore the tailcoat and hat for the first time there.

Is having a recognised look and popular catchphrases a blessing or a curse? I’m lucky that the public know me for a few things. The outfit for instance, I’m often asked “Where’s your wellingtons?” and talking about my “mommy” and her letters. I don’t have a hang-up about it. When you start off it’s one of the goals to get little gimmicks that help generate interest and work. The other day I was with my wife and we were dropping some rubbish off at the local tip. The guy working there saw me carrying the stuff and he looked desperate to say something. “Don’t worry, you can say it,” I said. He looked back at the car and said: “Is there more?” We both laughed.

Interview: Phil Pemberton

Celebrating Variety 2017 EQUITY IS CELEBRATIING VARIETY throughout 2017 and Jimmy will be hosting an event for Equity in May to honour the Variety Artistes’ Federation (VAF). It will be the 50th anniversary of the VAF being incorporated into Equity, which happened on 16 May 1967. Find out more about the events taking place in the campaigns on page 28

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www.equity.org.uk

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SUCCESS STORIES

ctory i v l a g Le

Injured singer wins damages

Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres hosted the LA network event and there will further North America networking opportunities later this year

EQUITY’S NETWORK IN LA & NYC

Phil Adams

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF WORKING OR LIVING IN NORTH AMERICA, WHY NOT JOIN THE EQUITY NETWORKS? Equity members on the West and East coast of the US met to celebrate the annual awards season and share information about their working lives in North America. Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres hosted the LA event and they remain regular members of the West Coast Network. Equity’s member-led networks in the US and Canada are designed to bring members together who are living or working outside the UK. There will be further events later this year in LA, NYC and Toronto. If you are not already registered with the local network, or if you are thinking of moving or working abroad, please contact toronto@equity.org.uk, la@equity.org.uk or nyc@equity.org.uk

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Equity wins comedy award The Leicester Comedy Festival award for Lifetime Contribution has been given to Equity in recognition of the work the union does to support comedians. During the presentation, made in April, festival director Geoff Rowe said the judges thought the contribution made by Equity during the festival over the past 12 years Janice Connolly along with the difference the hosted the awards union makes to the comedy and was the subject scene should be recognised. past few years with of the union’s I Since 2005 Equity has run the annual I Say Say event workshops and advice sessions event. This is a chance for emerging and established for a well-established comedians, visited all the venues, comedian to discuss with talked to comedians and promoters an audience their view of comedy and about the union and, for many Equity their experiences of the industry. comedians, this has been the first The first to do this was Alexei Sayle time they have had direct contact with followed by Nicholas Parsons and this their union. More active engagement year it was Janice Connolly (aka Mrs among comedians has resulted in the Barbara Nice), who also compèred the setting up of the Equity Comedians awards event. The award was presented Network, which is doing great work on to Louise Grainger who has lead the pay transparency and contracts. union’s work with the festival. A further Equity has particularly been ten awards were given out with the associated with the Leicester Mercury Legend of Comedy given posthumously Comedian of the Year event and in the to Victoria Wood.

www.equity.org.uk

A MEMBER HAS received a significant settlement following an accident on stage. The performer was injured when part of a spotlight hit his head during rehearsals. Although the responsibility for the accident was clear, the case became difficult because of a dispute over damages. The performer suffered post-concussion symptoms, developed long-term headaches and facial pain. This pain could be aggravated by his main livelihood, which is singing. He was off work for three months and, while he was then able to return to his original role, he was physically unable to take up additional freelance work. Plans to expand his teaching practice were also made uncertain because of his accident. Working with Equity’s lawyers, the singer sought a claim for his considerable lost earnings, but he was dismissively accused of exaggerating the effects of his injury. The union’s lawyers employed a neurology expert, who gave evidence that the singer’s condition was related to the accident. Psychological evidence was also obtained to prove the connection between the incident and the member’s longstanding pain. The employer’s insurance firm tried to question whether the falling spotlight caused the singer’s symptoms, and even suggested they were not as serious as he claimed. Equity’s experts maintained their stance and ultimately won the case, resulting in a doubling of the initial settlement offer. www.equity.org.uk/legal-support

Natalie Hainon and Tracey Booth job share as ASMs

NEW VIC THEATRE PROVES JOB SHARING CAN WORK UNION NEGOTIATED WITH MANAGEMENT TO ENABLE ASM JOB SHARE THE NEW VIC THEATRE in Newcastle-under-Lyme has demonstrated that the principle of job sharing can work in the entertainment industry. Natalie Hainon and Tracey Booth have young families and are sharing the role of assistant stage manager. Equity’s north west organiser, Jamie Briers, negotiated the deal. He said: “Managers often argue that the nature of the entertainment business means that flexible working is not an option. But it can be a possibility as long as there is a willingness to understand both sides. I would like to congratulate the New Vic for their open-minded approach to the flexible working request and to Natalie and Tracey who have shown their determination to make it work for everyone.” The union is committed to helping

members with caring responsibilities return to work and this is an example of Equity’s Play Fair equalities campaign in action. Natalie loves her job and is pleased with the new arrangement. She said: “I am absolutely over the moon to be one of the first ASMs to be successfully part of a flexible working job share with another young mum. I love my job because of the unpredictability of the shows and the wide range of jobs we do, which differ from show-to-show. One production I will be learning how to dress a coffin and the next I’ll be learning how to pick a lock!” Find out more about the Play Fair campaign from: www.equity.org.uk/playfair

Malcolm presents MTA prize Equity President Malcolm Sinclair attended the 2016 Manchester Theatre Awards to announce the prize for the best actress in a studio production. This was given to Erin Doherty, for her performance in Katherine Soper’s Wish List, which premiered at the Royal Exchange. Erin could not attend the ceremony, so the award was accepted by her director, Matthew Xia.

SUCCESS STORIES

Lamphouse is the first company in East Anglia to sign the PMPP agreement

LAMPHOUSE THEATRE SIGNS PROFESSIONALLY MADE DEAL A NEW FRINGE agreement between Equity and Lamphouse Theatre’s artistic director Tom Fox has been signed using the terms of the union’s Professionally Made Professionally Paid campaign. Lamphouse Theatre receives no public subsidy and it is the first theatre company in Peterborough and East Anglia to sign this kind of deal. Under the terms of the agreement actors and stage managers are guaranteed at least the minimum wage and statutory holiday pay for every hour

they work, including rehearsals and performances. The agreement also covers hours of work, breaks and health and safety conditions. Will Holmes, Equity’s south east regional organiser, said: “It’s great news we have signed this agreement because many actors working in UK fringe theatre are not paid the minimum wage, or protected by any kind of employment contract. Director Tom Fox has demonstrated a genuine passion for providing better working conditions throughout the process of making this deal.”

Backing Midlands’ culture EQUITY HAS CONTRIBUTED to TUC’s Midlands region Cultural Manifesto. It argues that: “The arts and culture are a crucial part of the Midlands region’s physical and civic infrastructure and as such cannot be sustained by a precarious, semi-professional workforce. In order for our cultural infrastructure to thrive, local government, national portfolio organisations and commercial companies must recognise the interests of cultural workers.”

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Union boost for students and comms Equity has recently appointed two new members of staff to help its work with students and communications. Amy Dawson (pictured below left) is the new student scheme and events co-ordinator. From May this year the union will introduce a Graduate Membership Scheme, which unlike the current student membership will entitle graduates to the same benefits as full Equity members. This is part of a concerted effort to attract and retain student members and Amy will be leading on the majority of this work. This will include the creation of a student network and the development of student deputies. The network is a forum for students to meet fellow Equity members, to talk to each other about any issues they are facing and to create better links between Equity and courses. The new student deputies will reflect Equity’s ‘Dep’ structure that currently exists in workplaces, with members acting as a liaison between students on courses and the union. Laura Gilbert (right) will be leading on the union’s social media work and will be an integral part of the communications team as Equity develops its new website and relaunches its publications.

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The Evelyn Norris Trust Was established in 1968 to provide financial support for members of the theatrical and concert professions who are in need of rest, recovery or a recuperative holiday. If you’ve recently suffered an illness, or needed medical treatment and think a short convalescent break would aid recovery, or if you’ve been suffering from ill health and need to ‘recharge your batteries’ then you should apply for funding. For information on how to apply you can either contact info@equitycharitabletrust.org.uk. ring us on 0207 831 1926 or visit our website www.equitycharitabletrust.org.uk where you can follow the link to the Evelyn Norris Trust and download an application.

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SELF-TAPING If you are comfortable using a stand-alone camera with external lights then do so, but a modern smartphone will work fine

Secrets of

SELF-TAPING Casting director Manuel Puro outlines the best approaches to self-tape auditions as Equity launches an online video to help guide members through the basics Photography David Cotter

elf-taping has become an essential part of an actor’s toolkit. So how do you get good at it? It’s all about preparation: preparing your home studio, preparing your filming equipment and uploading workflow, and preparing for the role.

2 Light – natural light is great but never sit in front of a window otherwise you will appear as a silhouette. Artificial lights are fine too but do a short test to see what you look like on camera and if it feels too harsh or too dark make adjustments. Clever placing of lamps can work wonders.

The chances are that your mobile phone or tablet will be able to take care of both of these tasks perfectly well. The picture and sound quality is generally excellent, you will always have it with you and there are free apps that make editing and uploading as simple as possible. It’s a studio in your pocket.

3 Sound – you need a quiet spot, hopefully away from external sounds and with reasonably good acoustics – beware of echoes. Remember to test the sound before recording.

If you are comfortable using a standalone camera, external lights, microphone equipment and a computerbased editing system then by all means do so, but it’s not at all essential.

Preparing your filming equipment and uploading workflow

When setting up your camera: 1 Always use landscape mode if using a phone or tablet.

Next up you will have to think about how you are going to film and then share your self-tape.

2 Steady your device by using some kind of tripod or by leaning it against

Preparing your studio If you are self-taping from home spend a little time figuring out the best place for your make-shift studio and then you can use it again and again. If you are on location or in a hotel room you will have to think on your feet a little but the same principles apply. There are three main factors you have to consider: 1 Background – as plain as possible, grey is best but any neutral colour will do.

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www.equity.org.uk

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SELF-TAPING

Unless otherwise requested, jump straight into your scene as the character”

Top five self-tape tips 1 Have your filming set-up ready and tested before an audition comes in. 2 Keep practising the technological side – editing, compressing, uploading – and be familiar with how long each step takes. 3 Schedule your audition, including prep, filming and post-production time – so that you complete and submit successfully well before any deadline. 4 Learn your lines – resist the temptation to read them just off-screen. It’s very obvious and looks terrible on camera. 5 Do not cut your scene halfway through filming – it might be better than you think.

something solid (a stack of books is common) – you want to eliminate camera shake. 3 Do not shoot with maximum resolution – your file will be too big. Editing-wise there are only a few procedures that you need to be able to do: 1 Trim the beginning and end of a take. Join different takes together if you have been asked to tape multiple scenes. 2 Add a simple title card if requested. 3 Export your taped file in a compressed format, ideally MP4. This can save time and stress especially if a hard submission deadline is looming. There are free, easy-to-use programmes available for all devices and computers, and countless YouTube videos that will show you how to perform these steps. Conduct a test run uploading different length audition files and keep a record of how long each takes – factor time in if there is a submission deadline. Spend a little time familiarising yourself with your system and practise, practise and practise again so it become second nature. Try to do this without the added pressure of having an actual self-taped audition to deliver. Once you have your workflow perfected either write down the steps or just keep doing them every few days so the steps remain fresh.

face-to-face audition. Do the same amount of script and character preparation that you would do if you were meeting the director. Schedule a time for you to do your self-tape – this will keep you focused and give you something to aim for. When it comes to filming it’s crucial that you follow whatever instructions you have been given. If you have not been given any directions then these general tips might be useful: Framing – quite close in, with your head and shoulders central or just off centre – try not to have too much ‘dead space’ on each side of the frame. Make sure your whole face including the top of your head are in shot. Unless otherwise requested it is fine to jump straight into your scene as the character. Ideally, you will find someone to read in the other roles, but if that is not possible then you can either record those lines yourself or leave gaps where another character’s line goes. But remember to react to whatever is being said by the other character in the scene. Casting directors do make allowances for these situations. Only send one take of any scene that is the entire scene from start to finish with no edits.

Preparing your audition The actual acting preparation for the self-tape should be no different from a

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Look just off-camera, not into the lens, and not too much in profile.

If it takes more than 10 or 15 minutes to actually film your self-tape you probably have not prepared well enough – take a break, do a little more work, and then revisit it. Finally, once you have finished, please take a moment to quickly check that everything worked - that the sound and image are in sync, that there are no glitches. And that’s it - do not fret over endless tiny differences - do the scene a couple of times, pick the best one and move on. If you have been asked to label the self-tape in a particular way then please follow those instructions, otherwise please do label your file with something logical - you cannot go wrong if you label it with your name, the role name and the project. And then all you have to do is submit your file – make sure you follow any submission instructions. If there are no instructions use Vimeo – it is compatible with phones, tablets or computers, and it allows the recipient to download your material in a variety of formats and sizes. Do not forget to enable downloads in your account settings. And that’s it – I hope you have found this useful and are ready to embrace the opportunities presented by self-taping. Find out more about Manuel Puro at www.purocasting.com

Equity’s video guide to self-taping SELF-TAPING SHOULD NOT BE AN AUTOMATIC SUBSTITUTE for face-to-face casting. However, it is becoming a more widespread technique and it can provide the opportunity to widen access to the casting process. Equity has created a video with casting director Manuel Puro and actress Emily Burnett to help members with self-taping, see: www.equity.org.uk/self-taping

www.equity.org.uk

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SOCIAL MEDIA

SOCIAL standıng “Can your career get a boost through posting your musings to social media?”, asks communications coach Matt Guarente as Equity agrees guidelines for social media use for members working in the theatre Illustration Tim Bradford

nyone who has ever had any kind of development – as opposed to skills – coaching is probably very familiar with a question that coaches like to ask: “What do you want to happen?” It’s a way of getting people to cut through noise, argument, or uncertainty to enable you to focus on the outcome you want to achieve from a situation. And it is a good place to start if you are thinking about what to do with your digital self – your personal brand, your skills or your achievements, and representing those things on social media. Why do you need to think about an outcome? One reason is that without any kind of vision of what success looks like, or a plan to get there, people tend to fail. I should know, I have started and abandoned at least four Twitter accounts. And I’m not alone. Before Twitter stopped releasing data, it was estimated that of the almost 1bn registered Twitter accounts, less than a

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quarter were logged into more than once a month. Samantha Baines is an actor and comedian who also manages social media for performers, and teaches them how to use it effectively through her company, Penguin in the Room. When asked what people should think about when they are setting out to build their social media presence, her answer was pretty much like that question coaches ask: “What do you want to do?” In fact, it’s just the first in a series of questions she thinks people should ask themselves, including: what do you want to promote (your self, your skills, your activity in the industry), who do you want to connect with (audience, promoters, an agent) and how much effort are you willing to put into it? Malcolm Ward is an actor and also chairman of the West & South West London branch of Equity and sees social media as a perfect way to promote yourself. However, there is a serious caveat and it’s one that was

repeated by various people in the course of researching this article. Counterintuitively, performers are quite often backwards about putting themselves forward. “Curiously, I think actors suffer from a fear of self-promotion,” says Ward. As an example, he cites himself, recalling how he was prompted by a course on digital marketing to sort out a web page. “My name has been registered as a web domain for three years. But there’s still no web page.” So, if performers struggle to self-promote, aside of a listing on Spotlight and, perhaps, some kind of representation, does social media offer a way of finding exposure without too much risk? Samantha Baines is a convert whose early experiments in social media resulted in a direct hit. “Four years ago I decided that I needed to be on social media,” she says. “It was a lot of trial and error but it did lead to me getting a BBC part. “I tweeted some work I was doing

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SOCIAL MEDIA

You can be a brilliant actor in your bedroom, but if noone knows about it then the bedroom is where you are staying. You need to spread the word and social media can help” 20 /

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and used the hashtag #VirginMediaShorts and a producer, who I had met and who started following my Twitter feed, saw it and recommended me to the casting director.” However, Baines thought about how other performers use social media and realised that all the courses and advice out there is aimed at users who have businesses or financial goals. “It’s really hard to promote yourself – as opposed to promoting a product. Obviously, companies such as CocaCola do marketing on social media, but it is something that performers need to think about too – because in a particular way they are a business too. I always say you can be a brilliant actor in your bedroom, but if noone knows about it then the bedroom is where you stay being a brilliant actor. You need to spread the word and social media can absolutely help with that.” What specifically, though, can social media help with? Kevin Brady, an agent with AHA, is sceptical that it will make a lot of difference in terms of getting roles. “The industry obviously uses Twitter and the like to help it promote shows and productions but it’s not going to make that much difference to how agents or casting directors think about individuals,” he says. “We’re not more likely to represent someone because of their social media status. The business in large part revolves around relationships between agents and casting directors.” But he admits that there can be a use for performers, and indeed producers, to help generate interest and engagement with productions or shows. “If someone is in a show,” says Brady, “then of course there would be encouragement to use social media to promote it, obviously within particluar guidelines, and people need to think about promoting themselves.” How does that work in practice? Gerard Logan is an Olivier-nominated actor who tours two productions – Wilde Without the Boy, a dramatisation of Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis, and Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece. “I use Twitter and Facebook a lot,” says Logan, “but they have different uses. I see Facebook as a little more cerebral and probably for an older audience. If I’m doing a Lucrece show then I think

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it’s a challenge to get that onto Twitter in 140 characters.” Logan says, though, that Twitter offers the chance to really target audiences. “I was doing Wilde Without the Boy in Chichester and sales could have been better. So I decided to get in touch with the LGBT community, and used the appropriate, localised hashtags and in the end we had 20 blokes turn up for the show. They had picked up on the specific targeting and shared it with friends. “Facebook is really useful for informing groups [Logan has separate groups for his shows] and letting them know what’s going on – and they feel like they belong, which is supportive.”

Both Logan and Samantha Baines think that Facebook works well for comedy and stand-up, especially for a regular event night. Dave Rothnie promotes a successful comedy spot in North Wales, and he recently decided to shift venue to accommodate more people. He got the message out to his group on Facebook and the result was impressive – direct sales, connection with hundreds of followers, and dozens of likes and shares. And what, I asked Rothnie, had he wanted to happen with his Facebook activity? “Get the word out to people to come to the new venue.” Easy when you just put fingers to keyboard, really.

Social media policies at work Members have asked Equity for advice regarding social media use relating to their work, particularly in the area of theatre productions. The union has subsequently worked with UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre to produce guidelines for social media use. Every show will have its own set of considerations that go towards shaping its individual policy. It is reasonable that one production might actively encourage company members’ own use of social media about what is happening with the show, but another might have good reasons for needing to strictly limit it, or for there to be none at all. Whether or not company members’ own use of social media is encouraged, members should not feel under any obligation to use their social media activity to promote a show they are in. Download the agreed approach here: www.equity.org.uk/theatre-social-media-use Download questions for company managers: www.equity.org.uk/social-media-questions-for-theatre-mgrs

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Member offers Equity membership entitles you to a wide variety of discounts, from photos to the Phoenix club; see below for a selection. Go online for a full list: www.equity.org.uk/discounts alexander technique Individual lessons at Gilbert Street, Nr Bond St, London. 30% discount to members. Twenty-six years of teaching performers; supporting improved poise and confidence, preventing backache and vocal strain. For info phone Kate Kelly 0845 3479389 www.alexandertec.net

assist taxation services Assistance with the preparation and submission of self-assessment tax returns for Equity members who are required by HM Revenue & Customs to submit a return. Equity members receive an exclusive 20% discount off the normal fixed fee of £250. A further 10% discount is available to members for referrals. We also offer self-employed accounts preparation and tax advisory and planning services. For further details please contact Nasir Majeed on 07775 691009, email nasir@assisttaxationservices.co.uk

michael barnes hairdressing Equity members get 40% off all cutting and colouring on your first visit to the salon and then you will receive 20% off all services whenever you visit after that. Michael Barnes is located at 224 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, 020 7836 7152.

photography HCK Photography is offering Equity members headshots/publicity shots for £95, a saving of £155. . For more information contact Kit at: 020 7112 8499. www.hckphotography.co.uk/equityoffer Scotland-based photographer Aly Wight is offering a 10% discount off headshots and location shots to members, see www.alywight.com

Special offer

cinema tickets Discounted tickets when showing Equity card: Queens FilmTheatre Belfast, Pictureville Bradford, Watershed Bristol, Cinema 3 Canterbury, Chichester Cinema at New Park, Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre Dumfries, Edinburgh Filmhouse, Hull Screen, Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy, Showroom Sheffield, NFT.

dance studios £60 off Pineapple Studios Annual Membership. Equity members get £60 off annual membership to Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden, London (usually costs £160). Additional benefits of membership include 25% off all full-price clothing at the Pineapple store opposite the studio in Covent Garden. Members can visit the studios at any time for classes or to meet friends and colleagues. Two passport size photographs are required. Claim in person with your Equity card at Pineapple Dance Studios, 7 Langley Street, London WC2H 9JA. Tel 020 7836 4004. www.pineapple.uk.com

Rex Features

hair removal Pulsar-permanent hair removal and skin treatments. Pigmentation, spots, photorejuvenation and more. IPL-intense pulsed light therapy. More advanced than laser: never shave again. For men and women – all skin and hair types. 10-20% discount for Equity members. Minimum fee applies to house visits. Contact Dr Succar on 020 8848 8288 or www.natura.org.uk

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rac breakdown cover We’ve teamed up with the RAC to bring you a potential 50% off RAC Rescue cover, this is off the base, standard cover. With your discount, Roadside cover starts at just £29 a year. And, depending on which level of cover you choose, you could save as much as £99.25. Join at rac.co.uk/join/benefits or call0800 096 6836 quoting EBS001

Lost your voice, stage fright, bad back – or any health problem arising from your job or studies as a performer

rex restaurants Chris Corbin and Jeremy King are keen supporters of the theatre and they have arranged for all members to receive 10% off any bill at their London restaurants. These are: The Wolseley, The Delaunay, The Counter at The Delaunay, Brasserie Zédel and Colbert. See the Rex Restaurant website: www.rexra.com. for details of the different eateries. The offer is for an Equity member and up to five guests (i.e. six people in total). You need to show a valid Equity card as proof when you arrive at the restaurant.

Go to BAPAM - a free medical support service part-funded by Equity *assessment clinics for professional and student performers with performance–related health problems *directory of practitioners and clinicians *fact sheets with health and fitness advice For help phone Dan or Clare at 0845 602 0235 or 020 7404 8444 or visit www.bapam.org.uk

It’s your service – USE IT!

Charity No: 1083295

stage newspaper

ambassador theatre group

ATG have set up a dedicated booking site for Equity members to provide ticket discounts and offers. Just go to the site to see what is available in their theatres around the country and book your discounted tickets. Visit: http://equity.ambassadorselect.com pheonix artist club Equity members get 50% off annual membership, at this private members’ club and licensed bar for professionals in the entertainment industry and their guests, open Mon-Sat 10.30am-2.30am (last entry 1am). Hot food served in the brasserie until 9.30pm. Sunday open 12 noon – 1.30 am. Entertaining entertainers since the eighties, this “jewel in the ground”. Annual membership is £200 reduced to £100 on presentation of your paid-up Equity card. Join online or phone the club during the day. Located beneath the Phoenix Theatre, 1 Phoenix Street, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 8BU. Tel: 020 7836 1077, www.phoenixartistclub.com

Equity members can have 10% off an annual subscription. This is available on both print and digital editions. Go to the website: http://subscriptions.thestage.co.uk and select the version you require. Remember to include the code EQUI in the Promotional Code box.

travel lodge Travelodge offer 5% discount on bookings through their Business Account Service. To register set up an account, go to www.travelodge.co.uk Click on the Login/ Sign up button on the top right of the menu. Choose Business and then follow the Sign Up steps quoting Equity as the Business name.

q-park

Equity and Q-Park have teamed up to provide Equity members with discounted parking in London and other major cities. . The rates represent a 15% discount across the day with a special flat rate of £6.00 for London parking from 6pm to 2am. To take advantage of the Equity discount you need to pre-book your parking. Follow this link to do this: www.equity.org.uk/parking

For more information and to help this organisation, which has suffered oppression in its own country, please contact Louise McMullan on: lmcmullan@equity.org.uk or 020 7670 0260

please note: Equity does not endorse the third-party services provided in these membership offers. They are made available on the request of the vendors.

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TUC ROUND-UP

WOMENS’ CONFERENCE Taking place in March, Equity’s delegates were (main picture, left to right): Hamida Ali (Equity’s Equalities Officer), Fiona Whitelaw, Kelly Burke and Jean Rogers YOUNG MEMBERS’ CONFERENCE The TUC Young Workers Conference took place on 25-26 March. Members representing Equity were Paul Valentine, Abigail Poulton and Jessica Bastick-Vines

Democracy in action Equity is a member of the Trades Union Congress and benefits from joining other workers across the employment sector to share ideas and support each other’s working lives

quity is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a UK organisation that represents 5.8 million workers in 52 unions. Equity sends representatives to a number of conferences the TUC hosts each year where pressing issues facing workers are discussed. Motions are put forward by delegates in the aim of getting the backing of their fellow trade unionists. The TUC Young Workers’ Conference took place in March and began with two workshops on Young People and Brexit

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and Innovating Young Workers. Guest speaker David O’Brien from Edinburgh University explained how Brexit will affect the arts industries and argued that trade unions must be resolute in campaigning to protect free movement within the EU for artists. Equity’s Young Members’ Committee (YMC) have championed the work of Arts Emergency over the past few years, and at this year’s conference YMC member Abigail Poulton subsequently put forward a motion on supporting the

organisation’s mentoring service, ‘The Alternative Old Boys Network’. The motion said: “Arts Emergency offer a mentoring service called ‘The Alternative Old Boys Network’ that gives emerging creatives from lower socio-economic backgrounds access to a network of established professionals, encouraging them to develop the kinds of personal networks and contacts so vital in industries where success can be determined by who you know. Conference resolves to raise the profile

of Arts Emergency across TUC affiliate unions, and to encourage members of affiliate unions to support The Alternative Old Boys Network.” The motion was seconded by sister union PCS, who stressed the need for these schemes and mechanisms across all industries. Paul Valentine from the YMC seconded the latter Musicians’ Union’s motion regarding freelance workers, calling on other industries to acknowledge freelance artists as professionals, not hobbyists. Both motions were passed unanimously. The TUC Black Workers’ conference took place in April and the delegates representing Equity were Daniel York and Nana St Bartholomew-Brown. The motion proposed was about inclusive casting and said: “Half a century ago Equity coined the term ‘integrated casting’ (now inclusive casting). Since then we have seen changes in the law and public attitudes – and of course we have seen changes in the representation of

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BLACK WORKERS’ CONFERENCE Taking place in April, the Equity delegates to the Black Workers’ Conference were: Daniel York and Nana St Bartholomew-Brown

BAME actors on stage and screen. However, that change has not kept pace with the times or the diversity of the nation. Last year Equity launched its Play Fair campaign – calling on employers to do just that on diversity. Our members are increasingly dissatisfied by the endless strategies, plans and targets which produce little visible difference… Conference calls on the TUC to join Equity in its campaign to challenge the industry to Play Fair.” The motion was agreed. The TUC Women’s conference took place in March and TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady spoke to the conference. Equity’s motions concerned firstly, working conditions for actors in companies booked into local authority venues and, secondly, the mental health needs of the young with particular relevance to young women in the entertainment profession. Both motions were passed unanimously. Jean Rogers was also voted back on to the WTUC Committee.

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CAMPAIGNS

Number 10 told to put creativity EBacc

Members in the South West came out to protest the arts cuts imposed by the local councils in Bristol and Bath

UNION JOINS ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE CULTURAL SPECTRUM TO DEMAND CREATIVE SUBJECTS ARE PUT INTO THE EBACC

MEMBERS FIGHT LOCAL COUNCIL DECISIONS TO CUT ARTS EQUITY’S DEPUTY FOR THE GENERAL SECRETARY STEPHEN SPENCE REPORTS ON THE LATEST ACTIVITY BY MEMBERS PROTESTING AGAINST LOCAL COUNCILS’ SHORT-SIGHTED MOVE TO AXE THE ARTS EQUITY’S STOP ARTS CUTS CAMPAIGNERS have been protesting in Bath and Bristol against decisions by local authorities to cut the arts budgets by 100% and approximately 30% respectively. In addition, Equity campaigners argued for two theatres in North Devon to be kept open following concerns that they would close. The Conservative-led council in Bath and North East Somerset made its decision at the February meeting, as Equity members protested outside the Council Chamber, despite the UK Chancellor and Treasury in 2015 pledging to maintain the Westminster arts spend until 2020, once the economic arguments in favour of arts spending became clear. For every £1 invested by government, the creative industries, now worth £84 billion or 5% of UK GDP, generate a further £2 to £7 in economic activity. It makes no sense whatsoever therefore for local authorities, which have had their central government funding reduced under austerity measures, to cut in this area. The

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arts and entertainment sectors are the kind of economic generators local areas need to help them trade their way out of the problems caused by reduced income from central government cuts. More income is generated as more people are involved in the arts than in Premier League football. What sensible local authority would seek to threaten the activity of a Premier League football club on its doorstep? In Bristol, the Labour-led administration

The arts sector is the economic generator local areas need”

made the same mistake, again with Equity members protesting at their folly. Timothy West, Tony Robinson, Derek Fowlds, Les Dennis and Lynda Rooke added their names to public statements calling on the councils to think again, but to no avail. A letter from Marvin Rees, Bristol Mayor, to Equity outlined his desire “to maintain Bristol’s international reputation as a centre for culture and the arts”. How that will be achieved by cutting nearly a third of the budget is a moot point. Equity continues to seek meetings with the council leader in Bath and the Bristol Mayor and has called on the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley to intervene on the situation in the way central government appears to have in Surrey on the crisis in social care. The cuts to arts funding at the local level is a crisis of no less proportions. In the one piece of good news, the council in North Devon has taken the two theatres back under its wing and their future appears more secure. www.equity.org.uk/stop-arts-cuts

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EQUITY’S GENERAL SECRETARY Christine Payne has joined more than one hundred artists and cultural organisations in signing a letter to the prime minister asking the government to reverse its EBacc policy. Equity members including Arlene Phillips (right) joined the Bacc for the Future campaign in a letter drop to 10 Downing Street on 15 March. The letter insisted the government addressed the problems of its secondary school policy. The Department for Education’s 2010 decision to implement a new English Baccalaureate (the EBacc) has been criticised by arts and education professionals. The EBacc outlines a rigid core curriculum that would make at least seven GCSEs effectively obligatory for English schoolchildren. None of these compulsory subjects are in the creative arts. On average, pupils take 8.1 GCSEs. Industry professionals are concerned that the EBacc leaves little academic space for creativity. The letter cites the government’s commitment to the creative sector, explaining how this is at odds with a dedication to the EBacc, which “is damaging the quality of the education offered to pupils in England.” Describing a decline in the uptake of the arts and Design Technology, and in students taking even one arts subject, the letter also points out that “teacher numbers and hours are declining almost twice as fast in creative subjects as they are overall.”

Equity calls for drama school in Northern Ireland EQUITY IS ASKING MEMBERS to sign a petition to support a publicly funded independent drama school to redress the deficit in arts education in Northern Ireland. The union believes the Northern Ireland Executive should address this as a matter of urgency. Why is this important? Northern Ireland has always been treated as second class in terms of funding to the arts in comparison with the other nations in these Islands. That treatment extends to drama school education in that

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland with no publicly funded independent drama school or accredited institution for actors, stage management and directors. As a union, Equity is behind the campaign to put that deficit to rights by asking members to sign up to a petition for a fully funded drama school, financed by the Department for Education and Learning through the Stormont Assembly and other sources, to create a centre of excellence for performers and others working in theatre, film and television. Please sign the petition at: www.equity.org.uk/drama-school-for-NI

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CAMPAIGNS

Branch events will Celebrate Variety 2017 THE UNION IS CELEBRATING THE VARIETY SECTOR THROUGHOUT 2017, SO WHY NOT GO ALONG TO YOUR LOCAL BRANCH EVENT?

Equity’s variety branches are putting on events to celebrate the sector. Here is selection. Find out more from: www.equity. org.uk/celebrate-variety-2017 North & West Yorkshire: Pool Tournament, Tuesday 13 June 2017, Variety Show on 20 July, both at Jubilee Club Leeds LS6 2LZ. Contact: valmrstipsy@gmail.com East Midlands: variety night at the Beeston Cabaret Club in Beeston, Nottingham on Friday, 20 October. Contact: clivebumstead@yahoo.com Northern Ireland: Showcase, Saturday 13 May, Variety Dinner, Monday 27 November at Dockers Club, Belfast. Contact: bids.nolan@outlook.com Birmingham: Showcase, 17 October, 7pm, Austin Sports and Social Club, Birmingham B31 2SF. Contact: Alec Powell 07831 115448 Manchester & District: entertainment at Monroe’s Hotel, M1 1PE, 31 July. Contact: vonniegerry@btinternet.com

The

oyal

Theatrical Fund

The RTF helps people from ALL areas of the entertainment industry – not just actors and singers – but dancers, stage management, directors, front of house and backstage staff. If you have worked professionally for a reasonable period of time and are experiencing financial hardship due to sickness or injury, we may be able to help.

showbusiness accountants - The Stage

Over 50 years of excellence Breckman & Company

All applications for help are treated in the strictest confidence.

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11 Garrick Street, London WC2E 9AR Email: admin@trtf.com www.trtf.com Reg Charity No. 222080

49 South Molton Street, London. W1K 5LH

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Tel: 020 7499 2292

Tel: 01273 929 350

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R O YA L VA R I ET Y C H A R I T Y T H E

E N T E R T A I N M E N T

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Brighton

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F O R M E R L Y

Notice from Equity

12/09/2012 11:50

F U N D

CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS OF CARE FOR MEMBERS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT PROFESSION

Equity is requesting your equalities data

London

Royal Variety Charity, Brinsworth House, 72 Staines Road, Twickenham, Middx. TW2 5AL 020 8898 8164 / www.royalvarietycharity.org / www.royalvarietyperformance.org

MIGHT THE UNION BE HOLDING MONIES FOR YOU FROM THE 1990s? We are delighted to have reached an amicable resolution of the

COMPLETING THE FORM ON OUR WEBSITE WILL HELP THE UNION IMPROVE SERVICES AND INFORM OUR CAMPAIGNS

longstanding problem of how to use the monies received by the union around 1995 and, known as the “Unknown Funds.”

Equity is asking members to complete a form on the union’s website asking for their equalities data.

take to support our collective aims to change our industry for the better.

Why does Equity want this information? Tackling discrimination and promoting equality for all our members are key priorities for the union. Equity has successfully campaigned for employers to start monitoring the diversity of actors and performers on stage and screen. This information will be crucial to understanding whether or not the industry is making any progress. It is no less important for Equity to understand our own diversity. Without this information it is much harder for us to understand the extent of underrepresentation in our membership and whether our hard work is making the differences we seek to bring about. This is one small step that all members can

How will Equity use this information? The data you provide will be treated confidentially, securely stored and will only be accessible to a small number of Equity staff. If you would prefer not to answer a particular question, each of them has a ‘prefer not to say’ option. We will use this information to improve our services, inform our campaigns, recruitment and retention work and identify barriers to participation and progression.

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Problems with logging into website You need to be a registered user of the website to enter the information. If you have any problems logging in to the members area, you can contact the membership department via 020 7670 0207 or email membership@equity.org.uk

The Royal Variety Charity assists those who’ve worked professionally in the entertainment industry and are in need of help. The charity strives to support all those, both young and old, who’ve worked on the stage, in the wings, in front of a camera, or behind it, as well as all those who have spent their lives working in the numerous support industries dedicated to entertainment. The Royal Variety Charity owns and manages its own residential and nursing care home for entertainers, Brinsworth House in Twickenham, and also offers a nationwide grant scheme to assist those living in their own homes wherever they reside in the UK. The Royal Variety Charity not only offers support to those who have found themselves struggling as a result of ill health, financial hardship or old age, but also to the dependants of all those who have served the entertainment industries.

To request a brochure or to arrange a visit to Brinsworth House, or simply to be added to our Admissions waiting-list, please contact Sheila Powell on 020 8898 8164 ext 207 · sheila@royalvarietycharity.org The Royal Variety Charity are the organisers and beneficiaries of the annual Royal Variety Performance... now viewed by over 152 million television viewers worldwide.

An important part of the resolution is that Equity undertakes to meet the claim of any members or non-members who believe and can produce evidence to show that the Union received residual payments due to them in respect of their performance in independent TV productions retransmitted before about 1998 and that those residuals were not passed on to them.

Therefore, if you or your agent wish to make a claim you should contact the General Secretary of Equity on

0207 379 6000

Patron HM The Queen · Life-President Laurie Mansfield · Chairman Giles Cooper · Est 1908 · Reg Charity No. 206451

www.equity.org.uk

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Letters...

THE PRESIDENT WRITES

HOW DO WE DO STUFF? Or rather how do we decide what stuff to do? When members look at the Council, committees, branches, working parties, conferences, annual general meetings and so on and so on; when they look at the website, and Facebook groups and Twitter threads, plus the various departments in Guild House, Glasgow, Cardiff and Manchester... they might be forgiven if they asked themselves: “How does the

with Spotlight, (acronym alert) the PMA (Personal Managers Association), the CPMA (Co-operative PMA) and the CDG (Casting Directors’ Guild). We are producing a code of best practice, in order to try to control the difficult conditions of the present casting process, such as insufficient notice and too many recalls and lack of info, and how to self-tape, and on and on... This is one of the most important pieces of work with which I’ve been involved in my time here. Why are we doing it? Because some members thought this needed doing and put a number of proposals through our democratic channels. This included the W and SW London Branch, which sent a pretty detailed motion to the Council. The Council adopted the proposals, our General Secretary Christine Payne made sure the resources were put in place to make it work, and we’re nearly there. None of this would have happened if those members had not started it, even though we all knew the work needed doing. Members are at the coal face, after all... “At the coal face of Thespis” as my friend Sarah Crowden says. Another slightly different example: the Ethical Equity Campaign, a group of young

The union is here for you to use to make your working lives better, and even, on occasion, to make our world a bit better too” union decide what in hell to do – and in what order?” Now, for the important and ongoing industrial matters, we have the Industrial Committees (Stage, Screen and New Media, Variety, Circus & Entertainers) with Equity’s industrial departments keeping an eye on our agreements, the changes in working practices and so on. And if the committees are up to scratch, which they are at the moment, the job gets done and done well. But what about new initiatives? Where does the impetus and energy for these come from? And the answer is, my darlings, from you. All the above structures are there to enable you to persuade the union that stuff needs doing. Two examples. Manifesto for Casting. This is a huge initiative involving Equity in discussions

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members keen to promote an ethical and responsible investment policy for our pension fund. They came along to the London AGM at the Soho Theatre a couple of months ago, got a motion debated and passed to promote this, it was sent to the Council, who supported it, and now both these young members and union staff are talking to First Act and Aviva to see what can be done. First Act, who run our pension scheme, is keen to help not only because of the merits of the case, but also because it might help persuade similar young members to sign up… which you all need to do, by the way! So, lecture over. The moral is... the union is here for you to use to make your working lives better, and even, as my last example shows, to make our world a bit better. Onward.

Get in touch Have you got something to say about your experience of Equity or the contents of the magazine? We want to hear from you. Please email or write to the editor via the contact information below: The Editor Guild House Upper St Martin’s Lane London WC2H 9EG Tel: 020 7379 6000 Fax: 020 7379 7001 Email: editorial@equity.org.uk Web: www.equity.org.uk

Heads Together

On 12 April a short film was launched by the charity Heads Together, featuring Stephen Fry discussing his mental health problems with his psychiatrist. We are delighted to let Equity members know that on 18 May at 6.30pm in the Actors’ Church in Covent Garden, Stephen will be giving our annual Theatre Chaplaincy UK Spring Lecture: Mind Out! This occasion is part of a growing movement to break the taboo and stigma that still surrounds issues of mental health in the theatre. Stephen’s keynote speech will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. Joining Stephen on the panel will be Doctor Deborah Charnock, Chief Executive of BAPAM and lead advisor on the ArtsMinds website; Annemarie Lewis Thomas, Principal of the Musical Theatre Academy, who launched the

#time4change Mental Health Charter for the Arts; and the Rt Revd Geoff Annas, Bishop of Stafford, a TCUK trustee with 30 years’ first-hand experience as a theatre chaplain. The lecture is free and open to all. We would also like to extend a warm invitation to Equity members to join us for our Party in the Garden on 6 June. Starting at 2.15pm. The afternoon will provide the opportunity to relax with friends old and new in the beautiful gardens of the Actors’ Church, enjoying sandwiches, cake and conversation to the sublime strains of renowned musician Dave Gelly and his jazz band. Both events are free and we look forward to welcoming Equity members. The Revd. Lindsay Meader, senior chaplain, Theatre Chaplaincy

Colin Kaye

Of the many who do not become well known in the theatre, one such was Colin Kaye. He died on the 19 February 2016 in Cumbria, after a long illness. In the early sixties he was in Rep, Ipswich among other theatres. Later, he worked briefly for the Prospect Theatre Company. Then he spent a considerable time working on the Fringe, both as an actor and also as a director. I had the good fortune to be directed by him a couple of times. He inspired great loyalty in the actors who could see in this diffident man a laser-like clarity about what he was doing. “If Colin suggests you do something: do it.

It’ll be right,” one actress said to me. What struck me was the cultural base from which he worked. He was well read. He loved painting and music. He knew what period he was in and how people would have behaved then. He was a talented gardener too. His garden was a symphony of flowers. When his partner, Jeanette, lay speechless in a care home, he would read to her out loud – Dickens, Trollope – and he thought he noticed some flicker of acknowledgement. He confided in me once that as a child he had suffered a bout of polio. He was markedly unassertive. If given half a chance to say something without being interrupted, it was well worth hearing. He would hate me for saying he bore “the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes”. But I did feel that about him. In the 1980s, working as a foot messenger during the day, he gave for many months a blistering performance in the title role in Monsieur Artaud, written and directed by the late Michael Almaz, in a room above The Bear And Staff pub in London WC2. Those who knew Colin outside the theatre were amazed at his transformation from a quiet man into this fiercely articulate theatrical storm-trooper. If only the chance had come his way to do more directing, I do not think it fanciful to say he might have become a name. He really did know his stuff. He was not the remotest bit showy. He started out as an Acting/ASM in Manchester. His fellow ASM became a Hollywood star. So it goes! Hugh Coleridge

The Eve Appeal

As part of their tour of Dracula the Travesty Northumberland Theatre Company (NTC) took part in a fundraising evening on behalf of The Eve Appeal, which works to protect women from the five types of gynaecological cancer. The evening of dinner-theatre was organised by Matthew and Zuzana Gibb at their home Castletoon House in Greenlaw and was in memory of Matthew’s late sister, the actor Kathy Gibb, who herself died of ovarian cancer and whom some members may well remember working with, particularly from her time at Durham Theatre Company. Apart from a balloon catching fire and ascending briefly in flames to the ceiling. The night was a great success! The show went down a storm as usual: nearly three and a half thousand pounds was raised for the charity, and raising of the awareness of the charity’s work, the cancers involved and the need for early diagnosis was achieved. Stewart Howson

VAF Celebration

I wanted to say thank you so much for your kind invitation to the VAF Celebration on 16 May. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend as I have a long-standing family engagement on that day. I first joined Equity in the 1960s, being proposed initially by the late Arthur Mullard and have been a fully paid-up member every year since. I am very proud to receive my membership card each year and take delight in knowing I have an affinity with lovely people and a union second to none. Ruth Rochelle

In memoriam With regret it is recorded that since the publication of the last edition of Equity magazine we have learned of the deaths of the following members: Doreen Andrew, William Armour, Lauriee Baty, A K Bennett-

Jeppe, Michel Julian, Gorden Kaye, Gail Kendal, Jules

Hunter, Chuck Berry, Freddie Boardley, Philip Bond, Filipa

Mannheim, Peter Marsh, Alec McCowen, Michael Mistofsky,

Bragança, Dave Broadfoot, John Bromley, Steve Bryce, Desmond

Vernon Nesbeth, Maria O’Brien (3), John O’Byrne, Brian

Carrington, Steve Clark, Sara Coward, Fred Davies (1), Brownie

O’Keeffe, Les O’Neill, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, Roberta Peters,

Dene, Margaret Denyer, Liz Dixon, Robert William Egerton,

Victor Platt, Louise Raphael, Stephen Rhodes, Rajan Sarin,

Peter Farmer, Royston Farrell, Johnny Fender, Neil Fingleton,

Philip Saville, Alan Simpson, Peter Skellern, James Sinclair Steel,

Ben Forster (2), Althea Gaye, Tim Gebbels, Jefferson Graham,

Ann Stutfield, Jeanne Williams, Alan Wilson

Mal Gray, Peter Hahlo, Tony Haygarth, John Hurt, Chris

(1) not Fred Davis (2) not Ben E Forster (3) not Maria O’Brien of

Hutchinson, Jemma Hyde, Al Jarreau, Suzanne Jefferies, Zelide

Sutton Coldfield

In some cases it may be possible that another member may have used the same or a similar name subsequent to the passing of the above members

Malcolm Sinclair

www.equity.org.uk

SUMMER 2017

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BRANCH UPDATE

Equity branches are your local meeting place to discuss the industry, share insights and influence the direction of the union. Find your local branch at www.equity.org.uk/branches north lancashire & cumbria general Next meeting: TBC, contact below. Contact: Peter Rylands, peter.rylands@btinternet.com

ne of england general Date of next meeting: First Tuesday of the month (excl. Aug & Dec), 6.30pm. Northern Stage, Newcastle NE1 7RH Contact: Steve McGuire, sirstephen2001us@yahoo.co.uk

north & east london general Next meeting: Second Saturday of the month (excl. August),10:30am. The Park Theatre, Finsbury Park Contact: Karen Singer, nel.equity@gmail.com

west & sw london general Next meeting: 31 May, 7.00pm. Seven Dials Club, 42 Earlham St, Covent Garden WC2H 9LA. Contact: secretary.equity.wswlon@gmail.com

liverpool

Date of next meeting: 6 May, 11.30am. Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, 62-64 Eton Avenue, London NW3 3HY Contact: Elise Harris, elise@eliseharris.com

yorkshire ridings general Next meeting: 24 June, 10am. West Yorkshire Playhouse (Meeting Room 1) Contact: Ben Addis, 07775 726868, equity.yrgb@gmail.com

birmingham variety Date of next meeting: 24 May, 7.30pm. The Austin Sports and Social Club, 30 Tessall Lane, Longbridge, Birmingham B31 2SF Contact: Alec Powell, alec@alecpowell.co.uk

oxfordshire general

BRIGHTON & SUSSEX GENERAL is committed to fighting for the arts

Date of next meeting: 7 June, 7.30pm. Friends Meeting House, 42 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW Contact: equityoxfordshire@gmail.com

blackpool variety Date of next meeting: First Tuesday of the month, 1pm. Blackpool Cricket Club, Stanley Park FY3 9EQ Contact: Chris Cotton: 07941 550315

south & se london general

ounded in 1994 by Sylvia Alexander-Vine and Joan Beveridge, the Brighton and Sussex General Branch is welcoming and engaged with the issues effecting the region and beyond. For many years its members have been involved in local campaigns such as Save the Brighton Hippodrome, a

bristol & west general Date of next meeting: Third Tuesday of the month (excl. August), 7.30pm. SPACE, 6 West Street, Old Market, Bristol BS2 0BH Contact: equity.bristolwestgen@googlemail.com

cardiff & s wales general Date of next meeting: First Thursday of month, 7.30pm. BBC Club, Cardiff CF5 2YQ Contact: Louisa, stbbrown_morgan@hotmail.co.uk

central england general Date of next meeting: 8 May, 7.30pm. The Wellington Pub, Birmingham B2 5SN Contact: David Edgar, davidedgar@gmx.co.uk

devon & cornwall general Next meeting: Third Sunday of the month at different venues around the two counties. Contact: Nigel Howells, howellsnj@gmail.com

SUMMER 2017

Grade II listed building described as “probably the best surviving example of a circus-variety theatre in Britain” from being converted into a cinema. The branch will be out and about throughout the Brighton Fringe Festival, which takes place in May and June, meeting performers, creative crews and seeking new Equity recruits.

dorset general Next meeting: Third Thursday of the month, 7pm. Wessex FM studios, Dorchester Contact: chris-gallarus@hotmail.co.uk

east of scotland general Date of next meeting: TBC Contact: Catriona Joss, eastofscotlandequity@gmail.com

essex general Date of next meeting: TBC. Usually Trinity Methodist, Chelmsford CM1 2XB Contact: essexequity@deemardi.com

gtr manchester & region Next meeting: TBC Contact: davidcockayne@hotmail.com

brighton & sussex general

Next meeting: 16 May, 7pm. The Actors Centre Contact: Paul Valentine,

& district general

Next meeting: 5 July, 6.30 pm. Everyman Theatre, Hope St. Contact: Sheila Jones, equityliverpool@gmail.com

north west london general

Brighton rocks

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equitysselondon@gmail.com

coventry & leicester variety Date of next meeting: 15 May. TheIvor Preece Centre, Rugby Road, Coventry CV3 2AY Contact:

Date of next meeting: Second Saturday of the month,10.30am. Friends Meeting House, Ship St, Brighton Contact: Chris Webb, 07973 465154

www.equity.org.uk

manchester & district variety Date of next meeting: 20 June, 7.30pm. Monroe’s Hotel, Manchester M1 1PE Contact: Yvonne Joseph, vonniegerry@btinternet.com

merseyside variety Date of next meeting: 8 May, 7pm. Adelphi Hotel, Ranelagh St, Liverpool, Merseyside L3 5UL Contact: Chris Dale (Chair), 0151 929 2280/07703 301621

north east variety Date of meeting: TBC Contact: Steve McGuire, 0120 723 8258, sirstephen2001us@yahoo.co.uk

scottish variety

south yorkshire variety Next meeting: TBC Contact: chuffinells@ hotmail.com

Next meeting: TBC Contact: colyn@colyn.co.uk

northern ireland branch

humberside variety branch Date of next meeting: 8 May, 7.30pm. Henry Vernone Court, Pier Street, Hull HU1 1UZ Contact: Christie Clifford, equityvbn4@msn.com

Date of next meeting: TBC Contact: Linda Rifkind, l.rifkind@btinternet.com

isle of man general

Date of next meeting: 19 June, 7.30pm. Lyric Cafe Bar Contact: Vicky Blades, equitynibranch@gmail.com

east midlands variety Date of next meeting: First Tuesday of the month (excl August). The Headstocks NG6 8SF Contact: Clive Bumstead, 07815 951798, clivebrumstead@yahoo.com

n&w yorkshire variety

home counties west general

kent general

east anglia variety Next meeting: 8 May, 8-10pm. The Canary Club, Norwich NR11RT Contact: Peachy Mead, peachymead@f2s.com

Date of next meeting: Every third Monday, 7.30pm. George IV pub, Birkenshaw BD11 2AH Contact: Valerie Jean Mann, val@mrstipsy.co.uk, 0113 285 3848

Date of next meeting: TBC, usually 7:30pm at South Hill Park Arts Centre, RG12 7PA Contact: branch_sec_hcw@btinternet.com

Date of next meeting: 24 June, 11.30am. The Alexander Centre, 15 Preston St., Faversham ME13 8NY Contact: Marie Kelly, 07703 207878, kellygreenproductions@hotmail.co.uk

Sheila Payne, sheila.rodgers@btinternet.com

Celebrating Variety

SOUTH WALES VARIETY BRANCH The South Wales Variety Branch have joined in Equity’s Celebrate Variety festivities by putting on a spectacular ‘Keeping Variety Alive’ fundraising show at the Savoy Theatre, Tonyrefail. The event was a great success that delighted audiences and raised much needed funds for both the venue and the branch.

south wales variety Date of next meeting: first Tuesday of every month, 7.30pm. Tyn y Twr Public House, Baglan, SA12 8AU Contact: Shelli Dawn, 01685 812779

thames variety branch Date of next meeting: TBC. The Blue Posts, 81 Newman Street W1T 3E Contact: Nick Putz, 020 8808 3802, nickputz@gmail.com

west of england variety Date of meeting: Second Monday of the month (excl. bank holidays, June, July, August and December), 7.45pm. Inn on the Green, 2 Filton Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 0PA Contact Mary Lane, 07900 848003 cllrmlane@equity.org.uk

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CONTACT EQUITY

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES 020 7670 0207 LIVE PERFORMANCE HELP DESK 020 7670 0237 RECORDED MEDIA HELP DESK 020 7670 0228

ADVICE AND RIGHTS HELPLINE 020 7670 0223 BULLYING REPORTING LINE 020 7670 0268 BRITISH EQUITY COLLECTING SOCIETY 020 7670 0350

HEAD OFFICE: Guild house, Upper St Martin’s Lane, London WC2H 9EG Tel: 020 7379 6000 Fax: 020 7379 7001 Email: info@equity.org.uk Web: www.equity.org.uk EQUITY OFFICERS: Malcolm Sinclair: President Ian Barritt: Vice President Maureen Beattie: Vice President Bryn Evans: Honorary Treasurer TRUSTEES: Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Worthy, Roy Hudd, Timothy West EQUITY STAFF Telephone: To call a member of Equity’s head office dial 020 7379 6000 and at the prompt press the asterix and dial the three figure extension in brackets after the relevant name below. Email: To email a member of Equity’s head office type the initial and surname in lower case with no spaces followed by @equity.org.uk GENERAL SECRETARY’S DEPT (fax 020 7379 6074) Christine Payne General Secretary (155) Louise McMullan Department head, Policy Development Officer & Assistant to General Secretary (160) Duncan Smith Head of Finance (130) Hamida Ali Equalities & Diversity Organiser (173) Stephen Spence

Deputy for the General Secretary, Industrial and Organising (133)

LIVE PERFORMANCE Hilary Hadley Mike Day Virginia Wilde Paul Fleming Emmanuel de Lange

(fax 020 7670 0265) Department head, Opera & Dance Organiser (136) Variety Organiser (135) West End Organiser (139) London Area Theatre Organiser (138) Independent theatre/Low Pay No Pay Organiser (137)

RECORDED MEDIA John Barclay Claire Hood Laura Messenger Cathy Sweet Tim Gale

(fax 020 7836 5313) Department head & PACT TV Organiser (146) TV Organiser (152) Films & Contract Enforcement Organiser (149) BBC & Radio Organiser (153) TV Commercials Organiser (145)

COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBERS SUPPORT (fax 020 7240 6341) Matt Hood Assistant General Secretary (168) Phil Pemberton Head of Communications, Department head (111) Louise Grainger Marketing and Training Officer (114) Alan Lean Tax and Welfare Rights Officer (157) Emma Cotton Tax & Welfare Rights Organiser (151) Martin Kenny Legal Claims Referral Officer (125)

SOUTH EAST OFFICE Will Holmes South East Organiser Equity, Upper St Martin’s Lane, WC2H 9EG TEL: 020 7670 0229 EMAIL: southeastengland@equity.org.uk SCOTLAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE Lorne Boswell Scotland and Northern Ireland Adam Adnyana Organisers Equity, 114 Union Street, Glasgow G1 3QQ tel: 0141 248 2472 EMAIL: scotland@equity.org.uk northernireland@equity.org.uk NORTH WEST OFFICE: Jamie Briers North West Organiser Express Networks, 1 George Leigh Street, Manchester M4 5DL TEL: 0161 244 5995 EMAIL: northwestengland@equity.org.uk NORTH EAST OFFICE: Max Beckmann North East Organiser Express Networks, 1 George Leigh Street, Manchester M4 5DL TEL: 0161 244 5995 EMAIL: mbeckmann@equity.org.uk WALES AND SOUTH WEST OFFICE Simon Curtis Wales & South West Organiser Equity, Transport House, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9SD TEL: 029 2039 7971 EMAIL: wales@equity.org.uk southwestengland@equity.org.uk MIDLANDS OFFICE: Ian Bayes Midlands Organiser Equity, Upper St Martin’s Lane, WC2H 9EG TEL: 020 7670 0232 EMAIL: midlands@equity.org.uk EQUITY MAGAZINE EDITORIAL Phil Pemberton TEL: 020 7670 0211 EMAIL: ppemberton@equity.org.uk EQUITY MAGAZINE PRINTING Jeremy Littlestone at TUInk TEL: 07810 825970 email: jeremy@tuink.co.uk EQUITY MAGAZINE ADVERTISING: Lisa Ottway, Sales Manager, Ottway Media Solutions TEL: 07958 046 147 EMAIL: lisa@ottwaymediasolutions.com Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body. Equity cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods or services offered in advertisements.

SPECIAL ATTENTION LIST The For Your Special Attention list is currently undergoing a review. For ongoing checks and information relating to the list please call 020 7670 0200 or email info@equity.org.uk.

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SUMMER 2017

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