Contracts

A contract is a voluntary arrangement between two or more parties that is enforceable by law as a binding legal agreement. It is formed when one party makes an offer, which the other party (or parties) accept, in exchange for consideration.

Artists and producers should be familiar with IATSE, as their membership will be integral collaborators on all manner of performances and live events, in many capacities. Stagehands, carpenters, riggers, audio and video technicians, hair and makeup artists, front of house staff, designers, prop builders, production coordinators and more may be members of IATSE. Like many unions, IATSE has “locals”, which are individual chapters of the larger organization. IATSE locals can be focused on a particular specialization of the industry, or specific location, or both. There are Locals with municipal, regional, or provincial jurisdiction representing stagehands, prop and scenic shop workers, front of house staff, production coordinators working in the film industry, cinematographers, and designers. Each local has a fair amount of autonomy, and writes their own bylaws and constitution.

When you are dealing with Equity, it’s important to remember that this organization was founded to deal originally with Broadway producers, the Stratford Festival, and large, well-funded regional theatres. It sees its primary responsibilities as:

a) collective bargaining and advocacy for its members
b) ensuring workplace safety and insurance benefits, and
c) making sure its members get paid.

The Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) is a service organization for professional theatre companies across the country. The organization acts as a collective voice for its member companies.

PACT is a Professional Association, representing Canadian Theatre companies, collectives, and other organizations, whose Labour Relations department negotiates collective agreements with other Professional Associations, including the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC-IATSE), L’Association des professionnels des arts de la scène du Québec (APASQ), Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (CAEA), and Playwrights’ Guild of Canada (PGC), on behalf of their membership.

Incorporated in 1965, Associated Designers of Canadais a national, professional non-profit arts service organization dedicated to representing the interests of set, costume, lighting, projection and sound designers working in the live performing arts in Canada. In the summer of 2020, ADC members voted in favour of affiliation with IATSE, as ADC Local 659. Local 659 has been active since January 2021.

Playwrights Guild of Canada (PGC) is a member service organization that advocates, protects, and promotes Canadian playwrights. If the playwright you are looking for is a member of the guild, you can most likely find information on performance rights for their work. If you commission a PGC member, you can guarantee that the playwright will know their own rates and be able to navigate their own contracts.

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) helps thousands of musicians who need assistance with any number of issues related to the recording and performing of their craft. They have specialized services including immigration, media recordings, symphonic and theatrical matters, touring, freelance musicians and membership services, contract negotiations and administration, royalty streams, and more. The union helps its membership take advantage of all career opportunities and optimize the level of their professional working environment.

Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists (CADA) are two organizations who work for the labour rights of artists and professional standards for dance. They are independent organizations and both registered as non-profits; one in British Columbia, based in Vancouver, and one in Ontario, based in Toronto. While their mandates and programs are similar, they are not officially tied in any way.

The Toronto Musicians' Association (TMA), Local 149 of the Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) and American Federation of Musicians (AFM) is the professional association for musicians in the Greater Toronto Area. Founded in 1887, the Toronto Musicians' Association received the charter as the Toronto area Local of the AFM on June 15, 1901.

When looking to use music in performance, you may need to check in with The Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). SOCAN is a member service organization that distributes royalties to Canadian music composers, authors, and publishers. All venues will have SOCAN licenses to play music in the general space (like background music, or the radio). If you have popular music in your show, you will need to look into getting licensing for your production. Composition rights are usually handled with SOCAN, but the recording rights are taken care of at Re:Sound

Re:Sound handles recorded music or sound that is used in a live performance. They represent recording artists and music labels.

Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) is an association for Dramaturgs.

LMDA has published a set of Employment Guidelines for dramaturgs, and a series of Sample Contracts for some of the many ways that dramaturgs are hired. The Guidelines have info in rates that LMDA has found via surveys, but the organization is not a union and doesn't publish suggested minimums because the range of contracts are so varied. Dramaturgs are not part of the CTA/ITA.