The Stage

Pro the pros?

Published Tuesday 16 March 2010 at 11:40

Stephen Spence considers Michael Earl and me wrong to express concerns on professional protection does he (Professional protection, Stage Talk, March 4, page 8)?

When a member of staff dealing with English National Opera issues writes to say, “I can assure you that we were certain that no professional actors have been displaced by these community groups”, whom exactly do Mr Spence and the senior management team consider were put out of work when the ENO engaged amateurs?

Has it escaped their notice that all community group amateurs, performers with disabilities and others capable of achieving Equity entry criteria are already eligible for consideration for union membership? Something Stephen apparently only recently discovered in the Disability Discrimination Act that forces Equity to offer student membership to members of the public with disabilities who are not taking accredited training courses.

The council’s advisory members with disabilities committee unanimously opposed changes on behalf of existing members, who fear they could adversely affect disability benefits received and their ability to work as professional performers. Copies of information on four years of Stephen’s consideration of the matter were refused to new committee members and, while pointing out the DDA, Stephen has refused to identify the relevant clause(s) forcing Equity’s hand. I am not aware he has been near the new committee, elected last summer, to discuss existing members’ fears.

SMT member Stephen must be aware that Equity’s protection for professional performers also founders on the rocks of the pay freeze that many who accept walk-on work have suffered since 2005.

As for his Manifesto for Theatre, referred to by him, it is no longer surprising that its newsletters do not clarify it is ‘professional’ theatre it is concerned about. Now that Stephen has ushered in the pro-am Equity, the SMT is even faster becoming mistrusted.

Roy Radford

South Zeal

Okehampton

Devon