Equity Magazine Spring 2017

SPRING 2017 www.equity.org.uk Miriam Margolyes: My pride in audio work Josie Long on the Arts Emergency in education Celebrate Variety 2017 SEALING THE DEAL LINDEN WALCOTT-BURTON ON GETTING THE SUB REP DEAL DONE First Act Insurance is delighted to introduce Contents News 18 04 Graduate Membership 06 Making Tax Digital Success stories 10 Unknown funds for charities 11 Dance sector leaps forward 08 A range of insurances that complement the established Cover star Equity cover: 14 Linden Walcott-Burden 24 14> Features • Employers’/Public Liability (when employing others and distinct from the Equity members PLI cover). 18 Arts Emergency • Sets, scenery, props and costumes. 24 Celebrate Variety 08 • Portable, technical equipment and instruments. • Hired in equipment cover. Campaigns 28 Play Fair in action • Buildings and contents. 24 • Business interruption. Key features include Plus 08 Meet the membership Competitive online quote and buy cover provided by HISCOX. • 30 Letters > • Annual or short period cover available. 32 Branch update 32> Scan this QR > code with your Visit www.showtimeinsurance.co.uk smartphone or tablet device to Tel 020 8686 5050 be taken directly 32 there Where and when you need it! © Paul Stuart > First Act Insurance* is the preferred insurance intermediary to *First Act Insurance is a trading name of Hencilla Canworth Ltd Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 226263 Cover image: FRONT OF HOUSE UPFRONT Vote in the union’s Christine Payne EQUITY TO SUPPORT STUDENTS General Secretary referendum WITH GRADUATE MEMBERSHIP VOTING WILL DETERMINE RULE CHANGES ABOUT ELECTIONS Equity members do not simply give advice NEW SCHEME WILL HELP STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM TRAINING INTO PROFESSIONAL WORK on what the union should be doing, they can decide what it does THE REFERENDUM IS to determine whether FROM MAY 2017 THE UNION will introduce a Graduate three of Equity’s rules should be changed. The first Membership Scheme, which unlike the current student membership will proposed change deals with Equity’s election SO WHAT WILL 2017 BRING FOR teams – and can address any weaknesses entitle graduates to the same benefits as full Equity members. processes and, if passed, would allow Equity EQUITY, the UK and the world? in the next round of negotiations. This will include: £10 million Public Liability Insurance, the ability to branches to nominate candidates for election to the Members of Equity are absolutely And please support the union’s branch access legal support and the union’s Job Information Service, plus the Council. The second would allow the Equity Council central to what we do. Equity is a trade network. Branches are a regular right to vote in union elections and participate in branch meetings. to determine the upper age limit for a member union and that means members do not opportunity for you to find out what the Graduate Membership can last for two years and the subscription cost wanting to stand for election to the Young Members simply give advice on what Equity should union is doing, to give your views to the will be 50% of the full rate. seat on Council. The third is the rule governing the be doing, you can decide what it does. It’s Council, committees and ARC. Branch “We understand the high costs of education and the many retirement of the Equity General Secretary. crucial that members have the opportunity funding now allows the branch to develop barriers young people face in entering the industry,” said Matt This is the second time this referendum has to make their voices heard and there are a professional learning or training Hood, assistant general secretary. “We want to support students been presented to the membership. Due to number of ways that can happen. opportunities for members locally. If it is to transfer from their training into working professionally.” errors in the drafting of the proposed rules the Included with this magazine is an difficult for you to attend a meeting then A further change is the creation of a student network and the Council suspended the last ballot held in invitation to attend your local Annual why not get involved in the online branch development of student deputies. November 2016. None of the votes from General Meeting (AGM). At the AGM, – see www.equity.org.uk/online-branch The network is a forum for students to meet fellow Equity members, November will be counted in this referendum. together with fellow members, elected I am currently working with members to talk to each other about any issues or problems they are facing and Your voting paper is included with this magazine or Officers and staff, we identify and discuss on the Casting Working Party to distil at to create better links between Equity and courses. This network will be you can vote online at www.equity.org.uk the challenges we are facing and look least fifteen proposals about the casting able to have a direct influence on the policy of the union by sending The poll closes at noon on 17 March 2017. for solutions. process. This working party was formed motions to Council, Equity’s governing body, about student-related If you have never been to an AGM as a result of a motion from the W&SW issues or concerns. Students have never had the ability to influence the please think about attending. The AGM’s London General Branch to the 2015 ARC. union in this way before. are an opportunity to talk about issues I completely understand why casting is The new student deputies will reflect Equity’s ‘Dep’ structure that Make a difference that affect your working life and one of the most prominent issues for currently exists in workplaces. These will be members who will act as a profession, to put a proposal to the Annual Equity members and, with the support of liaison between students on courses and the union. in the industry Representative Conference (ARC) and Council, the working party is drafting a proposals to Council and for the English Manifesto for Casting that will set out PUT YOURSELF FORWARD TO SERVE ON area AGMs to send representatives to the Equity’s vision of how the process of EQUITY’S INFLUENTIAL COMMITTEES ARC in May. casting can be made clearer, fairer and Places on all the unions committees less stressful for everyone. – industrial, national, specialist, equality Celebrate Variety 2017 is one of our Clarence Derwent Award EQUITY’S COUNCIL HAS CREATED and young members – are up for election major campaigns this year (see page 24) a structure for the union’s network of committees, this year. So also included in this magazine and came about because of a motion to the celebrates West End roles at the heart of which are three influential industrial is a nomination form for you to stand for 2016 ARC from the Variety, Circus and committees — Screen and New Media, Stage, and one – or more – of the union’s committees. Entertainers committee for a year of given annually by Equity for the best Variety, Circus and Entertainers — with the Please take the time to look at the celebration of variety to commemorate the individual male and female authority to conduct negotiations. nomination form and consider if you could 50 years since the VAF was incorporated performances in a supporting role in These committees, made up of members with contribute to any of these committees on into Equity. Variety has a very proud a West End production. recent experience of relevant work and elected by behalf of your fellow members. They history and it has a very exciting future in The UK awards date back to members, are at the forefront of improving pay and do important and valuable work for the Equity’s safe hands. What more can we do 1948 and have an illustrious history conditions for members. Supporting them are five union and together with staff change to support our professional variety of rewarding some of the most specialist committees — Audio, Dance, Singers, really does happen. entertainers who work all over the world respected names in British theatre Stage Management, and Directors and Designers. This can be seen with the recent and in all sorts of venues? The Variety, – including familiar names such There are also committees of members in re-negotiation of the Subsidised Repertory Circus & Entertainers committee and our as Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, four Agreement. The Stage committee and the Variety branches want to hear your views. THIS YEAR’S WINNERS of the Judi Dench. equality committees — Deaf and Disabled; Sub Rep working party have worked And of course we will be watching Clarence Derwent Awards went to It is also the occasion when Equity Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender +; incredibly hard to create a good deal for very carefully the implications of Brexit Melody Grove for her performance presents its student and young Minority Ethnic; and Women — and a Young members working in this sector (see more on our profession and industries as the as Isabella Farnese in Farinelli and member bursaries of £500 each. Members’ Committee. on page 14). However, as with every governments plans develop over the year. the King and Jonathan Broadbent/ 11 The recipients are pictured above with Please consider whether you would like to take negotiation there are swings and But we are only here to do all of this (pictured left with his wife) for his Equity President Malcolm Sinclair: this opportunity to improve the industry and put roundabouts and members had the because of your support. The end of last portrayal of Guy in My Night with Reg.

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