Ethics For Performers

Since my previous blog on ethics, where I wrote down what I thought would be good codes of practice for my two professions (Musical Theatre Performer and Teacher), I have been investigating the established ethical framework for these fields and seeing how they compare with my initial thoughts.

This blog concentrates on the established ethics in place for performers. The first thing I came across was an article on the LA Stage Times website. After the death of actress Kathleen Freeman a 1945 code of ethics for theatre workers was found amongst her possessions. Here is the full article and it is an interesting read;

http://www.lastagetimes.com/2009/08/a-1945-code-of-ethics-for-theatre-workers-surfaces/

One of the main things that struck me is that everything on the code of practice is still completely relevant today. It all still applies and is common practice in the theatre industry. The other thing it highlighted for me was the difference between professional and organizational ethics. I have recently read some blogs where people felt like they couldn't write codes of ethics as performers because they hadn't worked yet so they decided to write them from the perspective of a student within the organizational environment of dance or drama school. This is a totally valid point but in looking at the 1945 code of ethics I realised that the majority of the list contained rules that weren't for any specific environment. In others words they apply to the profession as a whole rather than any particular organization.

I think this is a key point when discussing the ethics of a performer because unless you end up in Eastenders for thirty years it is very unlikely that you will frequent the same work place, or even the same type of workplace for long. The environment that a performer works in is constantly changing. You could be working in a theatre, an arts centre or a TV studio. You could be in one place or on tour. It could even be the case that one minute you are working for a big producer and the next you are producing something yourself. I think because of this performers have developed a universal code of practice that applies to all situations. This means that even though people are forever changing their work environment there is still a strong sense of cohesion across the industry.

The majority of things that are on the list I learnt when I was at college and the things I didn't I had to learn pretty quickly in the profession. I have realised how important it is to give as much of this information to students before they graduate. Not only for their sake but for the continuing strength of the industry.

I thought I would also check the Equity website to see if they list any ethical considerations or codes of practice. I couldn't find anything listed but it did start to make me consider the role of equity within the performing industry. Within society we have laws that safe guard the fair and just treatment of people. Equity functions within the theatre in much the same way as the government functions within society. It creates and campaigns for rules to be set in place that safe guard the treatment of people in the industry. For example, ensuring that people are paid a fair wage, get adequate breaks and appropriate sick pay.

Another thing that Equity has been instrumental in creating is a code of practice for foreign performers working in this country. I found this piece of legislation from the Home Office that lays out what the acceptable use of foreign performers in British theatre is. This legislation is designed to fairly protect British jobs for British performers. It does however give the opportunity for exchanges of performers between countries. It made me realise that as a performer I have worked abroad a lot and as such it has always been part of my ethical responsibility to make sure I have a legal right to work in that country.

Continuing my search for codes of practice in performance I began to come across lots of information regarding the safe guarding of children. Many jobs require children and therefore there has to be rules in place to protect them. As an adult performer it is not usually your responsibility to look after these children but you should be aware of what is considered appropriate behaviour while they are around. When I was working on 'Chitty' there were twenty children in the cast. We were told when we first started the job that we should make sure we were never alone with them. We had to make sure we used appropriate language in their presence and were always fully clothed (something which seems obvious but when you pelting across backstage in a quick change you would sometimes forget). There were also rules in place about which toilets you could use because the adults and kids were not allowed to share. It is interesting as I am talking about these rules in a performance environment but they would also apply in a teaching environment.

My next blog will investigate the established ethics that are in place for teachers and I am sure as already seen there will be some overlap.