2025 was a watershed year for Equity. We took strides in all areas of our union, deepened our industrial strength and enjoyed a string of first-time events – all made possible by Equity members the length and breadth of the country.
For the first time, we campaigned outside the BAFTA video games awards seeking rights for performers, we balloted TV and film performers over industrial action for AI protections, held a film screening on global majority hair and make-up, brought creatives together in Belfast to highlight arts funding, took actors into Holyrood to campaign against the closure of River City, and launched a Welsh Language Network. We broke through £100million paid in royalties to performers through our Equity Distributions Service and responded to the launch of the world’s first AI actor, Tilly Norwood.
We smashed social media records and re-elected Paul W Fleming as Equity general secretary – making him a cover star of House Magazine. We brought Drag workers together, launched new house agreements for dance and variety, won pay rises, and took Spotlight to the High Court – we’ll be in the Court of Appeal next year as we continue to stand up for performers.
January
The year started with a mixture of challenges – arts cuts led to the closure of Applecart Arts and Equity was supporting members left unpaid by Edinburgh Fringe venue Summerhall.
In more positive news, Equity signed a new House Agreement with Duckie and The Posh Club – one of the first of its kind for Variety/Cabaret/Drag performers in the UK. We also officially opened our new office in Manchester, celebrating with a branch training session which brought together members from across the region. And we welcomed Scottish government funding for the arts as the settlement announced confirmed multi-year funding for 141 organisations, after campaigning and pressure from Equity.
February
A glitzy night in Belfast’s MAC brought together creatives from across Northern Ireland to make a united call for improved arts funding from Stormont. The event followed a busy campaign which saw hundreds of postcards written by show-goers during the festive period, all saying how much they value theatre and live shows.
Equity members at Welsh National Opera took industrial action in the ongoing dispute over cuts to the chorus. Campaign t-shirts were worn on stage over costumes and placards held high.
March
March saw wins at the BBC when the broadcaster confirmed that longform audio drama will remain a feature on BBC radio after campaigning from Equity and sister unions. We also secured a pay increase and improvements for performers in a new BBC TV Agreement, including a 13% increase to minimum episodic fees and associated payments and a 10% increase to minimum weekly fees.
Earlier in the month, we launched a campaign to save Scottish soap, River City, after the bombshell announcement it was to be cut. Thousands signed our petition and we pushed the story into the media, calling on BBC Scotland to rethink plans to cut the hugely popular Glasgow-based show.
Equity members joined the Justice for Heklina protest at New Scotland Yard to call for Justice for the drag artist who was found dead at a flat in Soho in 2023.
April
Equity demonstrated at the BAFTA Games Awards as part of our Game ON! Campaign calling on video game bosses to improve pay and conditions for workers in the multi-billion-pound industry, demanding “union contracts in gaming now!”.
Elsewhere the Save River City campaign ramped up both in and outside Holyrood, with cast members and politicians fighting the case for the long running drama. Actor Stephen Purdon, the longest serving Scottish soap opera actor, talked to us about the importance of the continuing drama.
May
Our flagship democratic event, Equity Conference, took place in Derry with representatives from across the country coming together to decide our agenda and rules for the year ahead.
Paul W Fleming was re-elected as Equity General Secretary with 81% of the vote. Paul thanked his supporters and said members had backed the vision of a “fighting, progressive union with an industrial agenda focussed on delivering the industry they deserve.”
June
On a long summer’s evening in June, dozens of Equity members who work in film and TV assembled in a central London garden to demand better in Pact contracts. Issues include pay, royalties and residuals, AI, casting (and self-tapes), hair and make-up - and for the first time in Equity’s history, the claim was compiled with direct input from Equity members who regularly work in film and TV.
Proving there’s no gig too small for a union agreement, we signed one for dance scratch nights with Chisenhall Dance Space. We also met with National Theatre over primary school touring. And as the mercury rose, we promoted safety tips for working in a heatwave.
We commissioned expert legal opinion which found the government’s welfare reforms “result in very serious breaches” of international human rights law and constitute “human rights violations for disabled people”, building on our work on disability and access.
July
In July, our much-anticipated High Court hearing against Spotlight fees happened. Equity vice president Nick Fletcher did a 60 second explainer video which became one of our top-performing videos of the year on social media.
The height of summer also saw our Outdoor Theatre Charter Launched setting a new benchmark for pay, conditions, and protections in the open-air touring sector. And we signed two new agreements in the immersive theatre sector, helping to improve workforce representation within the vast and growing immersive theatre sector and indicate Equity’s increased presence within it.
August
Where else would we be in August but the Edinburgh Fringe Festival?! Our drop-in sessions provided advice and sustenance to street performers, students and creatives and more.
Our long-running dispute at Welsh National Opera came to end, with the settlement including long-term protections for the chorus.
It was off to Broadway, baby, as a delegation of Equity activists and officials visited New York to exchange updates and deepen longstanding relationships with sister union Actors' Equity (AEA) ahead of each union going into negotiations on terms and conditions on Broadway and the West End.
September
What do you do if you’re a street performer and a movie company tries to rip off your work? Go to your union, that’s what! Equity member Dave Southern’s story became one of our most watched on social media in 2025.
A successful TUC Congress for Equity saw us get backing for our Spotlight campaign and also win support to abolish audition fees for performing arts courses.
We hosted a screening of Untold stories: Hair on set, to launch our demands for global majority hair and make-up equality in film and TV, with Equity saying “it’s discrimination, and it’s about your rights”.
October
The performance world changed in October when the first AI actress, Tilly Norwood, was launched and brought global attention to AI in entertainment. Equity spoke out on news programmes saying the creative process is a human prerogative, and generative AI must remain a tool that is used to empower human creators, not replace them.
Choreographers and movement directors celebrated a mass day of action, showing why union activism is important for all in the industry.
November
After a disappointing result in September, Equity was granted leave to appeal the High Court decision on our claim against Spotlight. Our application was successful and we will be in the Court of Appeal in 2026 making the case that Spotlight (and its fees) should be regulated.
Following the collapse of Manchester Pride, Equity brought performers together to provide support and explore options for securing payment. We got into the room with Council leaders and continue to make the case for performers to be paid and have a voice in arrangements for next year.
We called for a “visionary” new Director General of the BBC when Tim Davie stood down, and held an action day for video games workers.
December
We saved the best until last, and in December ran an indicative industrial action ballot among film and TV performers, asking if they are prepared to refuse digital scanning on set in order to secure AI protections. After two weeks of voting – with support from thousands of members – we returned a whopping 99% YES result on a 75% turnout. The result was streamed live on Sky News. We’ll take this show of strength into negotiations with Pact in January.
In December, we launched our theatre claims ahead of negotiations with SOLT and UK Theatre which will pick up in the new year. We also signed the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.
Equity's Deaf and Disabled Members Committee also launched the Access Toolkit, your one-stop guide for making your Equity meetings and events accessible in 2026.
This is just some of what we’ve achieved together in 2025, and next year is set to be even bigger. We couldn’t have made the strides we have without every single one of our members. Want to make our union even stronger? Ask a colleague to join today. Want to get more involved? Find out how here.
To all artists good work; To all workers good art; To all people: Equity and a bright 2026.
