Professional Associations and Entertainment Unions Form Working Group to Address Issues Concerning Designers

Following a series of exchanges of resources and knowledge among professional associations representing set, costume and lighting designers, representatives from the Society of British Theatre Designers (SBTD) and the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) have formed a working group with representatives from Equity and BECTU to discuss the key issues affecting designers.

This will be the first time that all of these organizations have come together to evaluate and unpack the complex nature of current working terms and conditions for designers.

In considering changes that need to be implemented for the current workforce, the aim is to work towards fair, clear, and robust models of engagement. This will make a significant contribution to developing a more diverse profession, something that UK Theatre and SOLT identified as a key priority within the Theatre Workforce Review they commissioned and published last year.

As clear and transparent career paths and increasing diversity of entry into the cultural sector are also key priorities for Arts Council England (ACE), the Creative Industries Federation and some of our largest producing houses, it is important to seize the opportunity that this aligning of objectives provides.

SBTD, ALD, Equity, and BECTU will be situating these concerns about fees and contracts within the wider context of fear, bullying and harassment that we are now beginning to evidence has been endemic across the whole of the industry for some time.

If a profession is perceived as one in which its members are afraid to speak out for fear of not being engaged to work again, then acting together now to do something about that is vital, both for those struggling to sustain a career as a designer now at every level of the profession, and for the diverse and resilient workforce of the future that SBTD, ALD, Equity, and BECTU aspires to enable.

The Association of Lighting Designers is the professional body representing all those who work or are interested in the creation of lighting, video & projection design for live performance and events. For further information, contact: Johanna Town, chair, Association of Lighting Designers at johanna.town@ald.org.uk.

BECTU is the trade union supporting growing numbers of UK staff and freelancers working in the media and entertainment sectors. For further information, contact: Helen Ryan, assistant national secretary at hryan@bectu.org.uk.

Equity is the UK trade union for professional performers and creative practitioners. For further information, contact: Jamie Briers, secretary to the Equity Directors and Designers Committee at jbriers@equity.org.uk.

The Society of British Theatre Designers is a professional association led by designers for designers. For further information, contact: Fiona Watt, honorary secretary at fiona@theatredesign.org.uk.

The Workforce Needs of Theatre and the Performing Arts says: "We are rightly proud in the UK of our dynamic and world leading theatre industry, and of the success of productions, actors and creative talent around the world."

"However, if we want to see our industry continue to thrive in ten or twenty years' time, we need to make sure that we have the right skills in place, and that we are training and developing those working now, and attracting the right diverse mix of people for the future."

"As a result, some months ago, UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) commissioned a major piece of research from Nordicity, working with Alistair Smith, to give us much needed evidence of the current and future training needs of our workforce."

"The report affirms what as a sector we have known for some time -- there is a need to change the way we value and invest in training and development at every level, from the earliest stages of new careers, to development and actions of our sector's leaders."

"We also need to take steps to improve entry and development routes, including careers' advice, so that we see increased diversity across the workforce to improve our talent base, our relevance, and our resilience."

"This evidence gives UK Theatre and SOLT a roadmap to work with government and employers, and on behalf of the industry, to address the requirements of the growing workforce."