Campaigns and solidarity

Cuban theatres destroyed after hurricane Sandy: Call for Solidarity

In the backdrop of the destructive consequences caused by Hurricane Sandy, Cuban FIA member UNEAC reaches out to the Federation to ask for support in these times of reconstruction.

The city of Santiago de Cuba has been hit the most and, while the Cuban State has to struggle to find relief for over 55 thousand homes, UNEAC makes a call for performers’ solidarity to help them rebuild the 5 city theatres that have been almost entirely wrecked and the building capacities and equipment of numerous theatre and dance companies.

You can read more about the terrible damages caused by hurricane Sandy in Santiago de Cuba in the letter to the FIA membership written by Carlos Padrón Montoya, President of the Live Performance branch of UNEAC.

To make a donation, please use the following bank account details:
Account Name: Huracanes restauración de daños
Account Number: 0300000003347326
Bank Name: Sucursal BFI Habana Libre
Address: Calle 25 y L, Vedado, La Habana
Swift Code: BFICCUHH

Letter to the FIA Membership Carta a la membresía de la FIA

Support Australian performers and sign Australian Actors Equity's petition to the LPA

FIA's Australian member Actors Equity is running a campaign to encourage theatre producers to renew their commitment to building a strong and sustainable live performance industry in the country. Australian producers, represented by the LPA (Live Performance Australia), have indeed unexpectedly terminated the long standing Live Theatre Agreement that was covering the use of overseas artists. This agreement saw Australian theatre producers commit to conduct a casting for Australian performers before importing a performer from overseas.

This sudden and disappointing breach in the protection of the Australian Live Performance industry and its workers now needs to be reversed. Join Australian actors in their fight to get theatre producers to renew the expression of their faith in Australian performers and to work with FIA member Actors Equity MEAA to develop a new agreement respecting the concerns of both producers and performers. Sign the petition here.

Actors Equity Australia director Sue McCreadie discusses the importance of using local performers in local productions at an Equity meeting in Melbourne. Photo Rodney Dekker

Sign the petition to free Zakaria Zubeidi, co-founder of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin

Zubeidi has been held since May 13 and has now been sentenced by the Palestinian Authority to another 19 days of prison. In reply to this new violation of his freedom and rights, Zubeidi has started a new hunger strike.

FIA expresses its support to Russian band Pussy Riot

Following the condemnation of the band’s members to a two-years imprisonment for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” and in its effort to defend artistic freedom around the world, FIA has sent a letter of indignation to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, calling for the immediate release of the three artists.

Support Pussy Riot EN Support Pussy Riot RU

FIA calls for the release from Prison of Burmese actor U Maung Thura

During FIA’s last Executive Committee and EuroFIA meetings, our British affiliate Equity UK reminded the present members the disastrous state of freedom of speech in Burma and the alarming consequences it could engender for performers trying to make their living freely in this country. FIA had been deeply disturbed to learn of the 2008 imprisonment of Burmese comedian and activist U Maung Thura (better known by his stage name “Zarganar”) for criticising openly the Burmese authorities. It is a matter of great concern to performers worldwide that one of their number should be imprisoned for his outspoken positions and performances.

Mr Maung Thura has been jailed by the authorities in Burma several times in the last decade for his satirical performances targeting the regime. The latest detention came in the aftermath of the Nargis cyclone in Burma in May 2008, when he threw himself into the coordination of relief efforts and sought to raise awareness on the devastation wrought by the disaster. His computer was seized and footage on it used to convict him for violations of the Electronic Act among other things. He is facing a 45 year prison charge.

The member unions of FIA supportMr Maung Thura and call for his immediate release from prison. A letter of support has been sent in the name of FIA to the authorities in Burma, the UN and theBurmese embassies in London and Brussels. You can download the letter below.

Individual members of FIA may also like to add their voices to the calls for freedom for Zarganar. The letter below could be used as a model and adapted for sending to embassies of Burma in other countries and to the authorities in Burma itself.

You can also participate to Equity UK’s post card support campaign. This type of campaign has already proven to work in the past and you only need to ask one (or several) postcard(s) to Equity UK (info@equity.org.uk).

Letter of Protest against imprisonment of Zarganar

The struggle of dubbing performers in Hungary

All foreign production in Hungary shown on cinema and television is dubbed. The commercial success of these international audiovisual works relies heavily on the talent of performers who give their voice to foreign actors, allowing them to be understood and enjoyed by the Hungarian audience. Dubbing is an important employment opportunity for performers in the country, who work as free lancers, with little or no social protection, have to cope with highly flexible hours and… are paid next to nothing in return! FIA was informed that dubbing performers in Hungary only gain a scanty compensation for each reel, a level so low that no one in the civilised world would offer to pay. Local production companies refuse to bargain with the actors’ union and force 10-year old rates in their individual contracts instead!

This is clearly unacceptable. When Hungarian dubbing artists finally resolved to strike for three days on April 10 to 12 to voice their frustration and resentment, FIA supported their campaign by urging all main studios to accept dialogue. Perhaps not surprisingly, this call remained unanswered. It is easier to hide against a wall than to meet a challenge. But… does it really pay back? Performers’ ability to keep up and develop their skills, to the benefit of the industry, also relies on their ability to make a decent living of their work. It is hard to believe that, by paying performers a ludicrous token at a rate that does not even take soaring living costs in Hungary into account, one can really expect them to continue to improve their talent and provide the same high standards.

Dubbing is a highly specialised industry, largely based on trust. Actors in foreign audiovisual productions need to be reassured that their dubbing colleagues can work in acceptable conditions, or else their own performance may ultimately suffer from it. If this becomes impossible, distribution terms and conditions will inevitably have to change. Much to the dislike of Hungarian dubbing studios. By stuffing all the profits in their pockets, the latter are shooting themselves in the foot.

FIA letter to Hungarian dubbing studios

© 2005 FIA