The Stage

Subsided repertory pay rises 12% in two years

Published Tuesday 24 May 2005 at 15:10 by Jeremy Austin

Wages for performers working in subsidised repertory theatre have increased by an average 12% in two years as renegotiated Equity contracts begin to reap the benefits of the government’s £25 million injection into the sector in 2002.

In theatres classified as grade one under the Subsidised Repertory Agreement, the increase between 2001/2 and 2003/4 is from £356 to £404 or 13.5%. In grade two theatres for the same period the rise has been 13.9% to £347, while grade three venues have increased wages on average by 8.6% to £324. By comparison, the Retail Price Index, upon which inflation is calculated, rose by only 4.6% for 2002 and 2003.

Actor weeks - an indication of the number of weeks being worked by a performer in the venues - have also increased. Grade one and grade three venues have seen a considerable rise - 19.3% in grade one venues to 697 weeks, and 11.5% to 279 weeks in grade three. Grade two venues have shown a modest increase of 3.2% to 284.

This increase in work and wages means that the amount of money spent paying actors in these venues has increased by 38% in two years. Three years ago those working across pay grades one, two and three in the subsidised repertory theatre system were earning a total of £8.7 million per annum. The figure for 2003/4 stands at £12 million - an increase of £3.3 million.

Equity is claiming that the rise is due in a substantial part to the introduction of its contracts with the sector, which cover middle range salary levels and came into effect from April 2003. The increase does not include the allowance payments introduced for touring, relocating and commuting.

Announcing the statistics at the union’s annual representative conference in Belfast at the weekend, assistant general secretary for theatre and variety Christine Payne said that she believed the organisation had succeeded in ensuring that the government’s largesse went towards increased wages and greater productivity, as was intended. The number of weeks worked by union members in the sector has also risen significantly, figures show.

In a triumphant speech, the senior staff member widely tipped to replace general secretary Ian McGarry when he steps down later this year, said: “Our challenge in 2002 was to create an agreement that was to the benefit of our members, that delivered to our members a substantial amount of that additional funding. That’s what we tried to do, and I think we have achieved it.”

There were, however, warnings from Payne, triggered partly by the freeze in funds from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to Arts Council England earlier this year, as well as reduced funding from Arts Council Northern Ireland, changes to the funding structure in Wales and potential changes in Scotland.

Telling conference that there were “some serious challenges ahead” she revealed that a recent survey undertaken with the Independent Theatre Council into salaries in small scale theatre demonstrated that wages were still much lower than the union would like.

“We have to build on this and we have to remember where we came from,” she said. “It is a lot of money but the majority of our members are still working in sub-rep for less than £400 a week. To make sure that the achievements we have achieved are built on we are going to have to make sure we watch the increases this year very carefully.”

For more coverage of Equity’s annual representative conference see The Stage website at www.thestage.co.uk and next week’s issue.

• Attempts to introduce this year Equity minimum wages at The Gate Theatre in London have failed. The Notting Hill venue is the only fringe space in the capital that operates Equity contracts and that promises payment to companies performing there. It had been hoped that this year would see the wages offered attain the minimum set by the union. However, a shortfall in funding from Arts Council England means that wages have only reached the £200 mark.