ARTISTS’ UNIONS
Below is some information on the different unions and associations that represent the interests of artists. Feel free to contact them with questions or for more information.
The League of Canadian Poets
www.poets.ca
The League of Canadian Poets, a non-profit arts service organization, is the national association of professional publishing and spoken word poets in Canada. Its purpose is to enhance the status of poets and nurture a professional poetic community to facilitate the teaching of Canadian poetry at all levels of education and to develop the audience for poetry by encouraging publication, performance and recognition of Canadian poetry nationally and internationally.
As well as providing members and the public with many benefits and services, the League speaks for poets on many issues such as freedom of expression, Public Lending Right, CanCopy, contract advice and grievance. We are actively involved with other arts and literary organizations in discussion with government bodies on matters that affect writers.
Playwrights Guild of Canada
www.playwrightsguild.ca
Playwrights Guild of Canada is a national association mandated to advance the creative rights and interests of professional Canadian playwrights, promote Canadian plays nationally and internationally, and foster an active, evolving community of writers for the stage.
Playwrights Guild of Canada champions the role of the playwright in the creation of vibrant Canadian theatre.
Canadian Artists Representation, Ontario
www.carfacontario.ca
CARFAC Ontario is the association of professional visual and media artists. Founded in 1968, CARFAC (Canadian Artists' Representation/le Front des artistes canadiens) has worked for 40 years on the legal and economic issues facing visual artists. We believe that artists, like professionals in other fields, should be paid for their work and share equitably in profits from their art practice. The work of CARFAC Ontario is to develop policies, publications and services that assist artists, galleries, curators, art patrons, and other stakeholders in creating an economic climate that benefits all visual artists.
Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada
www.socan.ca
SOCAN is an organization that administers the communication and performing rights of virtually the world’s entire repertoire of copyright-protected music, when it is used in Canada. We collect licence fees, then distribute the fees as royalties to our members and affiliated performing rights organizations (PROs) worldwide. We ensure that music creators and publishers get paid for the communication and public performance of their music in Canada. To do this, we collect fees from individuals, businesses and organizations that play music in public, broadcast it, or communicate it by telecommunication. We do what’s right for music.
Toronto Musicians Association
www.torontomusicians.org
The Toronto Musicians' Association, Local 149 of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (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.
A member driven association of 3,500 members, the Toronto Musicians' Association represents professional musicians in all facets of music in the greater Toronto area. In our concert halls, theatres, clubs, at private parties, on radio, television, film and recordings you hear the members of the Toronto Musicians' Association whenever you listen to music. Dedicated to the development of musical talent and skills the Toronto Musicians' Association has for the past 100 years fostered the opportunity through the collective efforts of our members for professional musicians to live and work in dignity.
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
www.lift.on.ca
LIFT is a member-driven non-profit organization that provides affordable access to equipment, education and space for those who want to make films, out of a passion for, and commitment to, the practice of filmmaking on celluloid.
ACTRA Toronto Performers
www.actratoronto.com
ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA. ACTRA began more than 60 years ago when performers in Toronto came together to fight for better fees and working conditions and formed the Radio Artists of Toronto Society in 1943. This movement spread across the country and became ACTRA – a national union that fights for the rights of professional performers working in the recorded media. ACTRA pioneered the establishment of residual rights as part of payment for a performance and set up the first comprehensive retirement and insurance plan for performers in Canada . ACTRA was also responsible for groundbreaking protections for children working in the film and television industry. Today, ACTRA continues to be a strong voice and advocate for Canadian culture and Canadian professional performers.
Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
www.caea.com
Canadian Actors' Equity Association is the professional association of performers, directors, choreographers, fight directors and stage managers in English Canada engaged in live performance in theatre, opera and dance.
Recognizing that the arts are vital to life and that artists make an invaluable contribution to our society, Equity supports the creative efforts of its members by seeking to improve their working conditions and opportunities.
The business of Equity is to negotiate and administer collective agreements, provide benefit plans, information and support, and act as an advocate for its membership. Equity strives for fairness, integrity and compassion in all its endeavours.
Director’s Guild of Canada
www.dgc.ca
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a national labour organisation that represents over 3,800 key creative and logistical personnel in the film and television industry covering all areas of direction, design, production and editing. The DGC negotiates and administers collective agreements and lobbies extensively on issues of concern for members including Canadian content conditions, CRTC regulations and ensuring that funding is maintained for Canadian film and television programming.
