The Stage

Almost half of artists hit by up-front fees

Published Thursday 27 April 2006 at 10:30

The Stage’s survey to discover the truth about up-front fees has produced some shocking results. The practice of charging artists money on the promise of finding them work is rife, with companies falling foul of both the law and industry guidelines.

Individuals are being charged as much as £2,000 for either book fees or photographic services, before the agent or agency has found them any work.

Most worryingly, in three out of four cases where a performer has paid money upfront to an agency, they have been found absolutely no work in their first 12 months with that organisation.

Meanwhile there is widespread confusion in the sector. Most respondents were unaware that upfront registration fees have been illegal since April 2004.

When there is a problem, our survey shows that people do not know where to turn for help, with three-quarters unsure of who to approach if they believe they have been ripped off.

The overriding impression is one of ignorance, not of malice, with much of the sector unclear as to just what constitutes acceptable practice when it comes to charging artists money in advance of finding them work.

What is apparent is that the legislation introduced in 2004 needs to be tightened up and industry bodies must work with the government to stamp out those who are abusing the system.

This must be done not only to help artists who are paying large amounts of money and receiving little, if anything, in return but also for the hundreds of entirely law-abiding and trustworthy organisations who are being given a bad name by the cowboy operators. And, in all this, it is crucial that legitimate operations such as the casting directory Spotlight are properly protected.