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This code of practice was developed by members of Equity’s Singers Committee and Equity’s Liturgical Singers Network to promote best practice and to improve working conditions.
1. Fair fees, transparent pay
A financial agreement should always be made in advance, and specify exactly what is expected in exchange for the fee.
Wherever possible, it should be clear whether a singer is being engaged as choir only, or whether there is an expectation of solo work. The fee should be proportionate to the repertoire and reflect the nature of the work - for example, commercial concerts would demand a higher fee than a regular service.
Details of maximum working time, and what happens if a service exceeds this time, should be agreed.
Special services such as weddings should attract a higher fee than a regular service.
There should also be clear provisions around what happens in the event of a cancellation.
Institutions should have a regularized pay review process to avoid pay stagnation.
2. Consent and clear provisions for streaming and recordings.
Work should never be streamed or recorded without a singers’ consent. If there is no additional fee for filming/streaming, the basic fee should state this clearly and the planned streaming/use of this stream should be considered when setting the basic fee.
Clear and transparent agreements about the audience and usage for any live stream or recording should be put in place in advance. Any additional usage is then subject to further negotiation. If a singer agrees to a fee prior to being informed of recording/streaming, an additional payment should be made.
Engagers should be aware that performers have rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (“CDPA”) in relation to a recording of a performance that can be sold or licensed to another party.
3. Rest breaks
Singers should be given a break between the end of rehearsals and the start of a service which is proportionate to the overall time spent working. There should be a break within any rehearsal of over 1.5 hours.
4. Dignity at work
Engagers should have dignity at work policies which should be available to all those they engage. Individuals should know who to report to if they experience bullying, discrimination or harassment at work and how such complaints will be handled. No individual should be penalised for raising issues or challenges they face at work through the appropriate channels.
Wherever practicable, engagers should communicate the available facilities in their space to singers clearly in advance. This should include accurate information about what singers will have access to both before and after their service, whether facilities are shared and who they are shared with.
5. Health and safety
In line with statutory requirements, engagers must ensure that they fulfil their requirements to keep singers safe at work. This includes conducting risk assessments of working spaces, and putting in appropriate measures to mitigate risks. Particular consideration should be given to the noise levels singers are exposed to and the temperatures singers are working in. Risk assessments should be made available to singers on request.
Singers should have access to clean toilets and drinking water. Singers should have access to a warm space to rest during breaks before or between services.
Singers are often required to work after-dark. Where the venue is not within easy walking distance of public transport options, suitable transport provision should be discussed and agreed in advance where necessary.
Where a singer is required to work late at night and/or when public transport is not available, such as Midnight Mass or Christmas Day, this should be reflected in a higher fee, or provisions should be put in place by the engager. This could include payment for taxis or coordinating car shares.
6. Recruitment of singers and auditions
Equity encourages the maintenance of official deputies lists, and would suggest that the institution’s deputies list should be prioritized for seeking deputies with the exception of emergencies.
Consent should be sought from deputies for their details to be shared with regulars, and regulars should be provided with an up to date deputies list.
In instances where auditions are held, it should be made clear what the audition is being held for (e.g. to become part of the regular choir or to be added to the deputies list).
Auditions should be held in a professional space, and singers should be proactively asked about their access requirements in advance. Where possible, there should be space for singers to wait and warm up before their audition. There should be access to facilities such as drinking water and clean toilets.
As much notice as possible should be given about the date and time of the audition, which should be held at a mutually convenient time. Information should be shared with the singer in advance about what will be required of them.
A clear outcome of the audition should be communicated with all singers in a timely way following the audition.
7. Engaging regulars
All singers deserve dignity and respect at work. Where singers are engaged by the institution on a regular basis, there should be opportunities for constructive feedback to be given and provided.
Should an engager wish to stop working with a singer that they have engaged regularly or remove them from a deputies list, they should communicate clearly around this, and be mindful of providing constructive feedback and giving the singer an opportunity to make improvements.
There should be a process of consultation with regulars around decisions which impact them, and changes to terms and conditions should be subject to discussion with singers and Equity as their recognized union where appropriate.
8. Accessibility and inclusivity
Engagers should have an equality, diversity and inclusion policy which should be available to all those they engage.
Engagers should seek to make work as accessible as possible to all singers. Engagers should welcome discussion about singers’ access requirements, and put in place any reasonable adjustments. This might include, for example, changing the position of the choir to avoid stairs, or providing music in large print if requested.
9. Professional development/scholarships
Roles in choirs which are advertised as choral scholarships or professional development opportunities should only be advertised as such where there is a genuine and meaningful education opportunity attached. Genuine and meaningful education opportunities should include the provision of singing lessons, and support and feedback from experienced professional musicians.
The choral scholar should have distinctly different (and fewer) responsibilities to others in the choir which should be appropriate to their student status.
