Equity

Designers are fighting to win improved pay and working conditions, as part of a new deal being sought by unions Equity and BECTU. The unions are calling for a tighter definition of what is covered by a designer’s initial fee, arguing that designers often have to absorb “significant additional overheads”. The claim focuses on modernising and improving pre-existing arrangements between the unions...

Equity claims to be “the only organisation able to work with managers to improve stage directors’ and designers’ pay and conditions of work”. Despite our members sitting on various Designers' committee in the last 15 years, there has been no discernable increase in minimum fees for lighting desgners in UK theatre, despite a huge change in the way that we work.