Diversity and e-drive notices

I've been reading a lot of e-drive audition notices recently. No, you don't need to worry that I have taken up acting – Canadian theatre is still safe from my acting/singing/dancing talents, and we should all be thankful for that.

Mostly, I am curious to see how theatres have been using the recently-added ability to include an ethnocultural mandate or ethnocultural casting statement. This change was made in response to engager and member input, and as a result of policy changes in the wake of Council's focus on diversity issues.

The principal intention was to allow an engager to focus a casting call to a subset of our members that reflected either the company's ethnocultural mandate, or the requirements of the show in question. Theatres responded right away.

What I've been waiting for, and what I am beginning to see in increasing numbers, are other theatres using this space to declare that what they are looking for is talent, without regard to ethnicity. Thank you to those who have so clearly stated a commitment to ensuring Canadian stages look like Canada does.

I recognise that this is not the end of the road, but it is a hopeful sign that we have started down the right one. 'Bout time.

"Equity does nothing for us"

A recent notice that the ITR Committee had begun work attracted the anonymous comment that now appears as the title of this post. I declined the comment because it didn't contribute anything to the topic at hand. Still, I know that more than a few people feel this way. I also don't wish to see a member comment go to waste, so I'm turning it into its own topic.

When you stop to consider the statement, you have to concede that it is pretty extreme. A claim that "Equity doesn't do much/enough for us" would include at least tacit recognition of the many things that Equity does do, even if you consider them to be insufficient or badly in need of improvement. Without restating all of our Ends policies, it's pretty hard to ignore benefits such as the recent Audition Project, disability insurance, professional development subsidies, prompt response to unsafe work environments or those poisoned by harassment or abuse, secured contracts, participation in the Senior Artists' Research Project, audition postings and political advocacy.

Speaking of advocacy, when the new EI Benefits for the Self-employed sprang into being, how do you think that came to pass? Equity and several other groups have been lobbying for that exact thing for years. Guess who asked us to lobby for it? Members. It sure as heck didn't happen quickly, but most things governmental don't. We just kept working on it until it did.

Equity's core worth is that together we can achieve more than we can individually. Two quick examples...

Through collective action we have established minimum fees for most contracts. You can negotiate more if you are able to, but you never need to be worried that you will be expected to accept less. There are certainly some members in a position to say to an engager, "Don't waste my time with an offer of less than X." And then there are the other 95% of us. Give it some thought: which group are you in? Would you prefer to negotiate your fee up to the value of your skill, or down to beat the next lowest bidder? Equity negotiated those minimum fees for you, so you don't have to.

Disability insurance is another example of collective benefit. I did a bit of digging around to see how much that might cost an individual. I couldn't find any online quotes that covered disability – that's the point at which they ask you to contact an agent. So, based on a few numbers for extended accident and sickness coverage only, I'm going to guess that extended health plus disability would cost me roughly $150/month, month in and month out.

By pooling our insurance needs and premiums, members currently have that coverage while on contract, from as little as $14/workweek (most of which is paid for by a 2003 fee top-up from engagers). You could never come anywhere close to that premium level on an individual basis. And because we control our own plan and don’t have to choose one “off the rack”, we can make the kinds of changes that were recently announced, as well as those likely to come out of our current review. Again, Equity built that plan and negotiated the engager contributions that cover most of the cost.

So, does Equity really do "nothing" for its members? It might make for a good online zinger, but it doesn't owe much to the truth.

I'm the first to say it: there is a lot we could do better. Council and staff are constantly working to do just that. If you want to see improvements, contact your local CPAG rep or Council's Member Liaison and start that discussion. It works.

If you don't care if things improve or not, launching spitballs from the wings is as good an approach as any.

Independent Theatre Review Committee seeks members

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the ITR Committee is seeking additional members to assist on this project, and details are posted here.

Halifax Audition Project

On Monday and Tuesday of last week, the inaugural PACT-Equity Audition Project took place at the Dalhousie Arts Centre in Halifax. I was fortunate to be able to attend the first day, as well as the evening forum and networking mixer.

What a great experience! Kudos to both Equity and PACT staff, who worked very hard to make sure the project focussed both on the needs of the artists and the needs of the directors. And my special thanks to PACT President Eric Coates, who was a real driving force in this.

For those of you who did not know about the event, here's how it worked. Auditions were conducted in front of a panel of 6 directors, including both freelance and ADs. Most performers had the chance to be seen by two panels, so twelve directors. Each audition lasted for ten minutes, which the artist could use however they wished. In response to a request from the directors, we were able also incorporate callback sessions at the end of each day.

Slots were first opened up to Equity artists from the Atlantic region, with special outreach to both professional and aspiring artists who identified themselves as aboriginal, a visible minority, or a member of an ethno-racial community. This last initiative was a specific outcome of Equity's recent policy-writing on diversity issues. Applicants were guaranteed an audition slot on a first-come first-served basis.

Two weeks later, auditions were opened up to ACTRA members and to members from across the country. In the week immediately prior to the auditions, the few remaining spots were offered to apprentices. As a side note, members came from as far away as Vancouver to be part of this project. Over course of the two days, eighteen directors saw over one hundred artists.

Every artist was welcomed and offered a bottle of water while they waited. Each of the three panels had a stage manager who assisted in the running of the audition. About ten minutes before the call time, the artist was taken to a private space, where they could warm up or just decompress. The SM would review the process with the artist, let them know who was in the room, how it was set up, and answer any additional questions that they had. When it was time for the audition, the SM returned and brought the performer to the audition space and introduced them to the directors.

On the Monday evening, two open forum sessions were held in the Dunn Theatre. The first focussed on how best to make an impression on a director, and the second on how to propose projects to an AD for inclusion in a future season. I'll compile the material from those two panels for posting on the Equity website. We capped the evening off with a social mixer in the sculpture court at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. The local theatre community was invited to both these events, and the turnout was excellent.

And, so how did all go? Would it be unforgivably immodest of me to say: really well? Well it did! – at least if I am to go by the feedback sheets we asked all participants to fill out. Almost all artists indicated that the event met or exceeded their expectations. For many, the opportunity to meet close to twenty directors (both in an audition and at the social mixer) was the big draw. Word is that the director panels were also pleased with the outcome.

Other positives mentioned included the freedom to use the ten minutes of audition time as the artist wished, and the luxury of having a private warm-up space available, not to mention an SM on hand to answer questions and to introduce them. Intriguingly, while many artists cited the heightened tension of auditioning before a panel, just as many cited the lower tension of not being scrutinised by one director for a very specific role.

In the "we're still learning column", several people asked for longer audition times, more directors or the opportunity to meet all three panels (natch!), more formal feedback on auditions, and scheduling of the forum and mixer at a different time. And the number one request from the members? More of these, more often and in more locations. What can I say – we're workin' on it.

Thanks again to all who participated on both sides - you made the event the success that it was.

The Audition Project

It's almost here!

Next Monday and Tuesday in Halifax, PACT and Equity will be jointly sponsoring an audition opportunity with ADs from one coast to the other. Enter the Audition Project. As well as scheduled audition slots, members are invited to attend an evening forum focussing on how best to make an impression on a director, and how to pitch a project to an AD.

Last I checked, there were still a couple of slots open – details and application info are posted on the Equity homepage.

I'll be there on Monday, and in attendance at the forum, so stop over and say hi.

Independent Theatre Review Committee begins work

A motion was passed at the March meeting of Council, striking the Independent Theatre Review Committee, to look at the future of member engagement opportunity in the spectrum of theatre not currently covered by the CTA/ITA.

Council has appointed Councillors Kerry Ann Doherty (Ontario and 2nd VP), Sharon DiGenova (Dance) and Kris Joseph (E. Ontario/Outaouais) to the committee to get things up and running. Their first job will be to bring more people onto the committee, seeking representation from across the country and in keeping with Council's diversity policies.

One of the most important aspects of the committee terms of reference is that it will be expected to consult broadly. Member interest across the country is anticipated to be much greater than can reasonably be accommodated on a committee of any workable size, so extensive outreach will be done to ensure that all members have an opportunity to participate in this discussion. As part of this, the committee will also be asking CPAGs across the country to connect with their local membership, both for sharing information and for collecting input.

In addition to seeking contributions from an artist engagement perspective, the committee will also be hearing from independent theatre engagers (both members and non) and Equity staff, to gather information on their needs and challenges in regards to member engagement. Council intends for this work to result in a comprehensive approach to improve and facilitate member engagement opportunity across this range of theatre.

If you are interested in being part of the steering committee, details on how to submit your name for inclusion will be available in the next short while. Please keep an eye on e-drive postings and this blog for startup details.

Member Benefits - a safe and sanitary work environment

As part of this blog, Council has asked me to include information on some of the many benefits and services offered by Equity to its members. This article is the first in that series.

First off, I hope everyone is aware that a summary of your membership benefits and protections is set out in the Ends section of our policy document. If not, you should give it a read sometime; the Ends statements outline Equity's commitment to you as a member. They're what you pay your dues for.

Ends policies state that (paraphrased):

All members will have protection, support and resources while under contract and while pursuing future contracts, including safe and sanitary places of work and audition. 

I've condensed two parallel policies into a single statement here, so please forgive the somewhat awkward construction. In the policy document you will find it divided into "work under contract" and "pursuit of future contracts," because Equity needs to deal with these two conditions separately. I'll go into more detail below.

While under contract
All engagement policies and agreements include specific language setting out expectations for a healthy and safe work environment. Take the Canadian Opera Agreement as an example. It requires a safe and sanitary place of engagement, including clean and properly heated dressing rooms and washroom facilities; hot and cold running water; clean, safe, accessible and well-lit access to the stage door; enclosed access from dressing rooms to the stage; minimum temperature requirements met; well-delineated passageways in case of blackouts; safe rehearsal and stage surfaces; security from threats to personal safety; regularly cleaned costumes and hair pieces, etc.

You get the idea, and you can find the details listed under "Safe and Sanitary Places of Engagement." In situations where performances take place outdoors, more detail is added. Additionally, Equity has the right to inspect any venue on request to ensure compliance.

All other major agreements are similar. Smaller agreements, such as the Indie, include parallel language. Safety of the Artist is a frontmost concern. Always.

Finally, all major agreements stipulate adherence to provincially mandated health and safety requirements, or to the Ontario Health and Safety Guidelines for Live Performance where no specific provincial regulations exist. As of this writing, BC, Alberta, Ontario and Québec all have health and safety requirements geared toward workers in live performance.

While in pursuit of future contracts
Ensuring safe and clean places of work and audition is more complicated. Where a negotiated agreement exists, such as the Canadian Theatre Agreement with PACT, we include requirements for audition and associated warmup and other spaces, and these apply even in the absence of a signed contract.

Working with independent engagers outside such negotiated agreements is admittedly tricky. Without pre-agreed conditions for audition, we can't point to a piece of text and tell the engager that they must live up to those terms. We rely on engager common sense and goodwill, not to mention the fact that a large percentage of independent engagers are members or ex-members, and they don't need a lot of prompting to provide a decent audition environment. That said, we are certainly not shy about weighing in on the few occasions when we hear of poor conditions.

What to do if you feel that work or audition conditions are unsafe, unclean or otherwise dangerous
If you are under contract, tell your Deputy and your Stage Manager. The overwhelming majority of concerns can be addressed quickly and locally, once brought to the attention of these two. If your concern persists, or you are not yet under contract, then get on the phone to a business rep in either office. If the matter is urgent, you will even be able to contact someone outside of office hours.

Equity exists to help protect you, but we can't do our work if we are unaware of a problem. One of the most common answers to questions that begin "Why didn't Equity...?" is "We didn't know." Thankfully, issues of unsafe working conditions are few and far between, but if you find yourself in an unsafe or otherwise unhealthy work environment, and the problem is not cleared up pronto, get on the phone. We're there to help.