Present and Past Campaigns

Save the Bristol Old Vic

The Bristol and West General Branch formed as a result of the Bristol Old Vic closure and Arts Council cuts in 2007. Since then the branch has maintained a keen interest in the BOV's direction and development.

Say 'No' to Up-front Agency Fees

In 2008 our motion to the Equity ARC was:
“The incidence of walk-on agents charging annual fees for ‘administration’ appears to be growing. Both main agents in the Bristol and Bath area now do this and deduct the fee automatically from the first job that the artist gets in any year. We understand that this practice in not unlawful but is surely an up-front fee by any other name. Therefore this ARC urges Equity to continue to persuade Government to legislate against this practice. All such fees should be paid for from commission earned by the agency and in no other way.”

This was agreed unanimously by the ARC and it is because of the e-mails and comments from branch members that we are continuing to campaign against these fees.

Please see the Branch News page for news on this ongoing branch campaign.

Keep Casualty in Bristol

The BBC has confirmed in a press anouncement on 26 March 2009 that Casualty will definitely move from Bristol to Cardiff by 2011. The news was met with shock by members of the Bristol and West General Branch of Equity who had been campaigning since May 2008 to keep the production in Bristol.

Casualty has been filmed in the city since 1986 and pumps £24.7 million a year into the local economy.