What is a Student Deputy?
From education institutions to theatres and film sets, Equity Deputies are the voice of the union. They are the bedrock of Equity’s power: organising to save jobs, courses and venues, improve pay and conditions, and make the performing arts accessible to all.
Student Deputies represent students in the union: they are their voice within Equity and take up the issues that matter to them and campaign to change performing arts education for the better. Student Deputies are Equity’s voice in their institutions, raising awareness of Equity’s campaigns and encouraging students to join and get involved.
Becoming a student deputy was an amazing way for me to get involved with Equity at the early stages of my career. It allowed me to learn more about how to become an activist in the arts and highlight issues faced by students across the country.
Ben Donaghy, former Equity Student Deputy
Why be a Student Deputy?
Performing arts education is starved of public funding and its future is under threat. The costs of training are being pushed onto students who are already struggling to cover the cost of living while balancing training with work. Audition fees and hidden course costs stop many working-class and marginalised people from even getting their foot in the door of the industry.
Together we can change this – become an Equity Student Deputy and join a community standing up for students and transforming the future of the performing arts. The role is yours to define – you can shape it to your interests, passions and experience. You’ll meet students, performers and creatives from across the country and have the support of other Student Deputies and our Student Team every step of the way.
Equity’s Student Deputies are the future of our union and will change the performing arts for generations that come after them. There’s no better way to begin your journey in our industry than by becoming a Student Deputy.
Equity President Lynda Rooke
Break Down Barriers campaign
Two thirds of working-class students said they were put off from applying to performing arts courses in our survey of student members. Students Deputies are campaigning to Break Down Barriers to performing arts education, demanding that institutions:
- Abolish audition fees
- Cover all expenses required for auditions
- End hidden course costs paid after starting
Some schools have already abolished their audition fees – become a Student Deputy and get involved in the campaign to scrap them at your institution!
Increasing access for disabled performers
One Student Deputy successfully committed Equity to campaign for contracts to include ‘Access Riders’, which ensure performers’ access needs are met at work. By getting involved in the Student Deputies Committee you can shape Equity’s campaigns and priorities too and turn your ideas to change the sector into reality.
How do I get started as a Student Deputy?
Equity’s Student Team will chat through the role, answer any questions you have, introduce you to other Student Deputies and send you a ‘Deps Pack’ of leaflets, merch and resources. They’ll support you to make the role your own. Here are some examples of how you can make a difference.
Work as a team
Student Deputies work best as a team representing different courses and year groups - we will put you in touch with any existing Student Deputies at your institution and help you find more. Introduce yourself to other students, your Student Union, staff union branches, local Equity branch and any local groups or campaigns you might want to work with.
Build an Equity presence
Make Equity a visible presence on campus by putting up posters on notice boards, handing out leaflets in shared spaces, and repping the union at major events in the student calendar. You can ask course leaders and staff if Equity’s Student Team can visit to run workshops on workers’ rights, trade unions and Equity’s campaigns and you can get help from the Student Team to run Equity events yourself!
Spread the word
The more students know about Equity and get involved the more power we have to change things! Don’t be shy to explain to others why you think we need unions, how Equity is making change and follow up by sharing information about joining Equity. Visit www.equity.org.uk to keep up to date with Equity campaigns, share our posts on Instagram @EquityUK and follow the Student Deputies Committee on Instagram and TikTok @EquitySDC – tag us in anything Equity-related you are up to so we can share!
Represent your peers
Identify the issues students are concerned about, bring them together to think about what needs to change and how to achieve it. You can do this through one-to-one conversations, by organising meetings, and group chats. You can join our Student Deputies Committee meetings to share these issues with Deputies from across the country, work together to tackle them and shape the future of the union and arts education.
Learn to campaign
The Student Team run regular Student Deputies Training sessions to help you understand more about Equity, how to make change through the union, and how to use your power as students to win campaigns. Whether you want to abolish audition fees, stop cuts to courses or tackle a particular issue at your institution we can coach and support you to build and win local campaigns. Drop us an email to find out the next training date students@equity.org.uk
Share the news
Have regular conversations with students on your course and in
your year group to make sure you are aware of any issues and that students know how to get involved with union. As Equity achieves change across the sector, make sure you share these stories with others in your college so they can see the impact of their union.