EQUITY ANNUAL REPORT 2008 The seventy-eighth annual report Adopted by the Council at its meeting held on 7 April, 2009 for submission to the Annual Representative Conference 16, 17 & 18 May, 2009 Equity Incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation Guild House Upper St Martin’s Lane London WC2H 9EG Tel: 0207 379 6000 Fax: 0207 379 7001 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.equity.org.uk 1. GENERAL........................................................................1 A. Annual Representative Conference.........................................1 B. Ballots ...................................................................................1 C. Lobbying Activities ...................................................................1 D. Marketing and membership services ......................................3 E. Recruitment and retention........................................................6 F. Clarence Derwent Awards 2008................................................7 G. Special Representative Conference ........................................7 2. LIVE PERFORMANCE ....................................................8 A. General ...................................................................................9 B. London Theatre .........................................................................9 C. Commercial and Subsidised Theatre ....................................13 D. Royal National Theatre ...........................................................17 E. Royal Shakespeare Company ................................................18 F. Independent Theatre Arts (formerly Small Scale Theatre) ..19 G. Opera .................................................................................20 H. Ballet and Dance .....................................................................26 I. Theatre Specialist Committees ...............................................30 J. Variety and Circus ...................................................................33 K. Models .................................................................................40 3. RECORDED MEDIA ......................................................41 A. Cinema Films...........................................................................41 B. Television Agreements – Pan Industry Discussions ...........41 C. New Make for New Technology..............................................42 D. Television.................................................................................43 E. Television Commercial ...........................................................47 F. Contract Enforcement .............................................................47 G. Royalties and Residuals Manager .........................................49 H. Audio, Radio and Recording ..................................................50 I. Gramophone Recordings (BPI Agreements)..........................52 4: FOREIGN ARTISTS ......................................................53 5. INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES..................................54 A. British/American Equity Exchanges......................................54 B. Mutual Recognition of Membership Reciprocal Agreements with Overseas Unions ...................54 C. Australian/Canadian/South African Exchanges ...................55 6. INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ACTORS ...........56 A. EURO FIA meetings ................................................................56 B. FIA English Speaking Group..................................................56 7. RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUTSIDE BODIES................57 A. Amnesty .................................................................................57 B. Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) ............57 C. British Copyright Council.......................................................57 D. British Equity Collecting Society (BECS)..............................57 E. CDET 2007................................................................................57 F. Dance UK .................................................................................58 G. Evelyn Norris Trust .................................................................58 H. Equity Charitable Trust (formerly Equity Trust Fund)..........58 I. ERA ............................................................................................59 J. Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU)............................59 K. The International Performers Aid Trust (IPAT) .....................60 L. Liberty .................................................................................61 M. Performers Alliance ................................................................61 N. PPL Performer Board (formerly the Performer’s Forum) ....62 O. Save London’s Theatres Campaign ......................................62 P. Sector Skills Councils.............................................................64 Q. Trades Union Congress..........................................................66 8. THE COUNCIL...............................................................72 9. APPEALS COMMITTEE................................................73 A. The Committee ........................................................................73 B. Hearings .................................................................................73 10. NATIONAL, AREA AND OTHER COMMITTEES.......75 A. National Committees...............................................................75 (i) Scotland ................................................................................ 75 (ii) Northern Ireland .................................................................. 78 (iii) Wales................................................................................... 80 B. Area Committees.....................................................................84 i. London ................................................................................... 84 ii. Midlands ................................................................................ 84 iii. Northern ............................................................................... 87 vi. South East............................................................................ 92 vii. South West.......................................................................... 95 C. Specialist committees.............................................................98 i. Audio Committee................................................................... 98 ii. Concert & Session Singers Committee.............................. 99 iii. Members with Disabilities Committee............................. 101 iv. General Branches.............................................................. 101 v. International Committee for Artiste’s Freedom – ICAF .. 102 vi. Health & Safety Committee............................................... 102 vii. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Committee .. 103 viii. Minority Ethnic Members’ Committee ........................... 103 ix. Stunt Committee................................................................ 104 x. Walk on Committee ............................................................ 105 xi. Women’s Committee......................................................... 105 11. STAFF CHANGES.....................................................107 12. MEMBERSHIP...........................................................108 A. In benefit members at 31st December 2008:........................108 B. Student membership.............................................................108 C. New members........................................................................108 13. OTHER BENEFITS....................................................110 A. Benevolent Fund ...................................................................110 B. Health Care ............................................................................110 C. Foreign Language Registers................................................110 D. Insurance ...............................................................................110 E. Equity Member Pensions Scheme (EPS).............................111 F. Legal Advice and Protection.................................................112 G. Tax, National Insurance and Welfare Benefits....................112 14. IN MEMORIAM ..........................................................113 APPENDICES Appendix A: Minutes of the 2008 Annual Representative Conference ... 117 Appendix B: Motions to the 2008 Annual Representative Conference ... 122 Appendix C: Report of independent scrutineer – Election of President... 135 Appendix D: Report of independent scrutineer – Election of Council ..... 138 Appendix E: Report of independent scrutineer – Election of VAC .......... 143 Appendix F: Variety Advisory Committee ............................................... 144 Appendix G: Variety Branch Officials ...................................................... 145 Appendix H: Visiting Artists ..................................................................... 148 Appendix I: BBC Worldwide Royalties Paid........................................... 149 Appendix J: Members of Staff for 2008 .................................................. 150 Appendix K: Rate Card: Independent Radio Commercials ..................... 152 Appendix N: General Branches - Branch Secretaries ............................. 156 Annual Report 2008 1. GENERAL A. Annual Representative Conference The 2008 Annual Representative Conference was held at the Cavendish Conference Centre, London on 18 and