Convener(s): SHEILA GHELANI

Participants: JUDITH FAUTLESS, ALYS TORRANCE

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

WE WERE A SMALL GROUP! WE DECIDED ONCE WE HAD SPOKEN WE WOULD MERGE WITH THE BAYLIS GROUP AS THEY WERE DISCUSSING MONEY.

OUR FOCUS WAS ON THE FREELANCE PERFORMER/MAKER. THE QUESTION WAS HOW COULD WE BETTER PROTECT OURSELVES AND MAKE SURE WE STOPPED HAVING TO WORK FOR FREE (IF WE DIDN’T WE WOULD HAVE NO WORK AT ALL).

- PART OF THE INDUSTRY IS AN EXPECTATION /NECESSITY THAT PERFORMERS/MAKERS ETC WILL/SHOULD WORK FREE AND THAT HOURS OF WORK DON’T MATTER. ANY EXTRA TIME PUT IN ISN’T REALLY NOTED. UNLESS YOU FIGHT FOR IT TO BE RECOGNISED AFTER THE EVENT. THIS CAN SOMETIMES BE TRICKY
- WE WONDERED IF IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HOW MUCH WE ‘VALUE’ OURSELVES. IF WE EXPECT TO HAVE TO WORK FOR FREE, WE WILL HAVE TO. THIS THEN HAS A KNOCK ON EFFECT ON HOW THE SECTOR AS A WHOLE IS PERCEIVED.
- NONE OF US (WORKING IN THE LIVE/ART SECTOR AND COMEDY) FELT EQUITY HAD ANY RELEVANCE OR WAS HELPFUL TO US.
- CONTRACTS DIDN’T REALLY MEAN MUCH. WHO ARE THEY THERE TO PROTECT REALLY?
- DESPITE COMING FROM VERY DIFFERENT AREAS OF THEATRE THE SAME ISSUES AROUND THIS SUBJECT CAME UP FOR ALL OF US.

CONCRETE RECOMMENDATIONS:

PUT ANY ‘EXTRA’ WORK YOU HAVE DONE ON YOUR INVOICE ANYWAY. LIST IT SO AT LEAST THERE IS A RECORD OF IT SOMEWHERE. IT MIGHT START A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. MIGHT EVEN MEAN YOU GET PAID RETROSPECTIVELY! IT MIGHT MAKE YOU REVIEW YOUR OWN PRACTICES

JUST EXPECT TO GET PAID THE RIGHT AMOUNT. ITS SIMPLE – DON’T WORK FOR FREE!

LOBBY TO MAKE THE ‘UNION’ MORE USEFUL TO SECTORS OUTSIDE OF MAINSTREAM THEATRE.

BE PROFESSIONAL. BROACH IT. IF YOU DON’T ASK, YOU DON’T GET.

FOR COMEDY – WE DISCUSSED THE NEED TO BUILD UP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ARTS COUNCIL SO APPLYING FOR FUNDING WAS POSSIBLE – THEN MONEY WOULDN’T BE SO SCARCE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

WE THEN MOVED OVER TO JOIN THE OTHER GROUP DISCUSSING MONEY.