U.K.’s Equity, ITC Agree Pay Rises for Performers and Creatives – Global Bulletin
AGREEMENT
EquityThe U.K. trade union of creative practitioners is called. Independent Theatre Council The management association for independent performing arts, (ITC), has agreed to major changes in the Ethical Manager Agreement.
The agreement will be in effect from April. For performers and stage managers, there will be an increase to the minimum weekly salary of over 10% – rising from £494 ($600) to £545 ($663) and an increase to minimum daily fees by 20% – rising from £100 to £120.
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There will be an additional 10% increase in fees for choreographers and designers. Additionally, the agreement provides for a 20% increase on meals, daily accommodation and commute allowances. Touring and relocation allowances are to be combined into one living away allowance of £447.68 per week in London, and £410 per week outside of London. This sees an uplift of over 30% on the existing touring allowance (which was £311.20 per week), and an uplift just under 250% on the London relocation allowance (which was £129 per week) and just over 290% on the relocation allowance outside of London (which was £104.80 per week).
Producers are the ones responsible for finding and providing accommodation. This agreement stipulates that producers will be the primary source of responsibility. It also reduces the maximum work hours and gives producers holiday entitlements above the statutory minimums. Wellbeing and dignity are at the core of the agreement. There are provisions for support for physical therapy as well as the contractual requirement to producers to have equal opportunity, dignity at work, and to adhere to environmental sustainability policies.
ACQUISITION
Banijay‘s Endemol France A majority stake was acquired in Puzzle MediaA production outfit that specializes in action and adventure. Puzzle Media was formed in May 2007 by Jonathan Politur and has grown to deliver extreme and board sports content in high volume, with titles including “Riding Zone,” which has broadcast every weekend for 14 years on France Télévisions. Puzzle Media also develops and produces a range of other content, with daily drama, “L’Amour à l’Epreuve,” having just launched on France Télévisions.
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Banijay has been appointed in the interim Steve MatthewReporting to the global head of scripted is the newly created role of content partnerships executive. Christian Wikander. In the role, which commences Feb. 1, he will act as a key facilitator in the group’s production development process, supporting in driving co-production opportunities across the Nordics, Spain and beyond, and building out the business’ pipeline and creative partnerships primarily across drama.
Matthews joins HBO Europe, where he most recently served as VP, executive producer, scripted, having joined the business in 2014, where he worked on productions including “Pustina,” “Umbre,” “Uspjeh,” “The Sleepers,” “Foodie Love,” “Gösta; and from Banijay’s footprint specifically, “30 Coins” (Pokeepsie), “Beforeigners” (Rubicon) and “Beartown” (Filmlance).
WRAP
Indian actors and producers present their first production Ali Fazal And Richa Chadha‘s production company Pushing Buttons Studios, “Girls Will Be Girls,” which started filming in Nov. 2022The film, which was shot in picturesque locations in Uttarakhand (North India), took 45 days to complete. Directed by Shuchi Talati It is the story of a 16 year-old girl who attends an elite boarding school in a small Himalayan village. Her rebellious coming-of-age phase is hijacked and manipulated by her mother, who never reached adulthood.
This Indo-French coproduction is being produced jointly by Pushing Buttons Studios and Crawling Angel Films.
Fazal, along with Hussain DalalYou can find stars here Shujaat Saudagar‘s “The Underbug,” a selection at the upcoming Slamdance Film FestivalThe event will take place in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, from Jan 20 to 26. The film depicts how two rioters flee India’s violence and destruction on the eve its Independence Day. The men are haunted by an eerie presence in the house that threatens their sanity.
FORMAT
Canada’s Bell Media The acquisition of the CBS adaptation of “Lingo.” Simulcasting with CBS’s launch in the U.S, the gameshow premiered in Canada on Jan. 11 on Bell Media owned channel CTV. Emmy winner RuPaul CharlesThe format is a wordplay gameshow that pits teams against one another in a race to find words and win huge cash prizes.
The format has been sold in 17 different countries. All3Media InternationalThe show is available in several major markets including the U.K. Italy, Spain Spain, France and the Netherlands. This format has been aired in France for the past 29 years.
RuPaul Charles is the host and executive producer for the U.S. edition of the game show. He is joined by Layla Smith (an All3Media company), Jilly Pearce (Objective Media Group America) and Ed de Burgh (Triple Brew Media). “Lingo” is an All3Media/IDTV and Talpa TV format, distributed by All3Media International.
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