EQUITY - Key Persons
Hello! I'm Alan, an Irish actor and voiceoverer living and working in London for the past 20 years. I'd like to work towards making audio work better and fairer for all, particularly when faced with the challenges of AI, the entirely unsatisfactory audiobook per finished hour pay structure and the squeeze on gaming pay rates. I think I bring a fair amount of industry experience, past and present, and I know where work needs to be done and also where good work IS being done, so as well as calling out bad practice, we can champion the producers and creatives that are getting it right. Most importantly, I'd like to hear from you how we as a committee can best serve your interests as members working in audio. Let's talk!
My pregnancy journey has generally been really well supported by my various projects - I've found as a first time mum-to-be, one of the biggest challenges has been knowing what to ask for as often companies have asked me what would be helpful.
If you're in a similar position, my top learnings throughout my pregnancy have been to ensure I'm well hydrated which means sometimes I've had to ensure water is even more closely-accessible and I've had to add more breaks to ensure I get it enough! Similarly, sometimes actually taking the tea and meal breaks in rehearsals (which I used to work through) has been really necessary to just take a little time out. Sitting in one place for hours just doesn't work for most pregnant bodies so when directing, I've just said to casts at the start of rehearsals that I may move about a bit and have tried to ensure padded seating with good back support where possible. Putting my body (and baby) before work has been a real adjustment as I'm so used to just zooming through but I've found if I let those around me know it's something I'm working on, there's been really useful support and reminders to drink/move/take breaks etc!
In latter weeks, I've also requested lift access or asked for meetings/rehearsals to only be one flight up. Similarly I've said I can only stay in hotels that are accessible.
There was a period of time where it looked like a show I was working on would transfer to the West End when Baby would have been 6 weeks or so old. This was the big challenge for me - the company were great with asking me what I needed but I just didn't know and I totally failed in reaching out to brilliant organisations like PiPA which I think would have really helped and which I'd definitely advise others to do. What did help though was being told by several parent-producers/directors what their experiences were postpartum and from their guidance and advice, we concluded that I would be relying very heavily on associates and shouldn't try to commit to being in any specific rehearsals in the immediate weeks after birth, but just see how I got on in terms of sleep patterns and brain fog. I would bring Baby to work and only go in when I could, and the producers were willing to find me a flat that was walkable from rehearsals and the venue to make life easier.
I am very aware I was really lucky with the above and actually am so relieved that this particular production is being postponed so I won't have to juggle being a brand new mum with work, but having that support from other freelance parents who understood and using that to know what to ask for without feeling guilty was really useful. It obviously also helped that the show would have been remounted - the above idea couldn't have worked with a new production - and certainly I wouldn't have had the headspace.
The tough part of pregnancy vs work has been trying to convince producers who don't have children that I am a viable option for employment in future. I can hear the hesitation when trying to get dates for the year ahead and projects booked in like there's an assumption I'll let them down. I also had a producer take a job away because they assumed I wouldn't be able/wouldn't want to do it. Unpicking this with them recently has boiled down to the fact they were too busy for a proper conversation which they know was wrong and I hope they won't make the same error with others.
Financially, I've also been much more upfront than usual, pushing projects that are yet uncontracted for at least a letter of agreement so we can get initial payments in place in advance, meaning I have some savings to top up what is the pretty poor statutory maternity money from the government.
I have had a wonderful start to my acting audio career as a 2022 BBC Carleton Hobbs Winner, working in the BBC Radio Drama Company. Since then, I have continued to work in animation, audiobooks, commercials, corporate and other highly credited audio work. As a mixed-race/black, tall, young adult female with a disability, I am passionate about inclusivity, diversity and equality in the industry as well as bringing Equity the relevant experience I have to offer. Joining the Committee, I also intend to offer my expertise and negotiating skills to discussions so that the fairest pay and treatment for all fellow audio artists can be achieved. I have recently worked with Equity, promoting Equity Audio. I am very excited to continue my work with Equity, helping all audio artists attain the best possible outcomes working in this magnificent industry!
Job Titles:
- Associate Artistic Director at Kakilang Arts
Daniel York Loh is Associate Artistic Director at Kakilang Arts. He is an actor, writer, film maker and musician, and is Chair of Equity's Race Equality Committee.
Jessica Brewster has worked in theatre and television for over 20 years. She co-founded the ground-breaking organisation Theatre Deli, that created new forms of support and incubation for independent theatre makers and immersive performance. She is currently the Director of The Roses, an arts centre in Gloucestershire. She also worked as a Director & Producer in Factual TV for the BBC and Channel 4, including the Great British Bake Off.
Kelly Burke is a stage, screen and voiceover actress and chair of Equity's Women's Committee
Hello! I'm Leonor, a voice actor working in all areas of audio since 2011. When contributing to current campaigns, I draw on my experience as a multilingual actor recording in English and a foreign language. I am proud to sit on the audio committee at this important time and dedicated to strengthening our collective voice. I am also a member of Equity For A Green New Deal, an ambitious Network within our union, working to bring sustainability to all areas of the entertainment industry. As a climate justice advocate, I believe in deepening the collaboration and solidarity between the trade union and climate movements.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audio Committee
As a member of the Audio Committee since 2019, I see the importance and influence we have within the industry. I've been an audio artist for over 10 years and an actress for over 30. When I was relatively new to the audio world, I initially found it difficult to navigate my initiation into working as a voiceover which is why, when I was elected, I was keen to update the audio guide. Being on the Diversity, Audiobook and BBC working parties has allowed me to offer support and advice in the ongoing pay negotiations and to push for more diversity within studios. I'm keen to continue discussions around strategies for tackling the issues around AI and IP within the audio industry.
I trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and joined Equity in 1985. I have worked extensively in theatre, television, film and radio drama as an actor and as a commercial voice artist for the last 20 years. I set up my own production company in 2001 and have produced and written radio commercials and also directed and produced a number of video commercials and corporate films for a diverse range of clients. I was elected to the audio committee in 2017 and previously served on a working party for radio commercials from 2003 to 2005.
Max Jones is a Bristol born, London based Production, Set and Costume Designer who graduated from The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2001. He is a winner of The Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design, and throughout a 20-year freelance career has designed for productions across the UK and abroad. Max is currently a member of SBTD, Bectu and Equity. Max is also a founder member of Scene/Change.
My experience whilst bring pregnant and working has been fairly good throughout, producers and production managers have been brilliant at checking in and adapting to my changing needs. I've been able to attend all my appointments by making sure they're booked early in the day in order to then travel to work later on. Also an additional scan at 13 weeks was sensitively supported by all involved, so I felt relaxed with the appointment and could take time after to recoup and get back in the right headspace for work.
The one big problem I faced was uncomfortable production desks- at a West End theatre I was working in you "can't" take the seats out, or after investigation it costs a lot of money to do so, meaning a more ergonomic seating position wasn't viable. The offer instead was a wooden board across the seats. There was a lot of embarrassment and apologies given from staff members and producers, but nothing changed. To try and avoid the inevitable bad back and neck, I bought an inflatable cushion for each of my team, and a back support for myself in the hope it'd extend the seat back just high enough for a bit more support. I should also add, you can't get massage treatment until after 12 weeks, and I was already living in a lot of pain from frequently bad seating positions. The options I bought were OK, but if I'd be there any longer than a week and a half I would have really suffered.
So who's responsibility is this? The theatres? The incoming producer? How much notice should be given for this to happen? I was only around 11/12 weeks pregnant at this point, so couldn't have given any more than 8 weeks' notice of a request for seats out, is 8 weeks enough? Can budgets, time and schedule be flexible enough to allow for this to happen? The ALPD have already had many members flag the serious implications of uncomfortable production desks, pregnant or not. In extreme cases I've known people be hospitalised with bad backs caused by terrible workstations in tech.