5 Production Companies

How do these 5 companies work together?

I looked at Spotlight, most casting directors will look at this website to find actors for specific productions. It is a big main website used across the UK and as many as 60,000 people use Spotlight. It's a good way for actors to find work as they can also find job adverts on their which may interest them and the skills they have. Clients will range from BBC, Itv and other production companies.

Equity negotiate with the casting directors to assure that the terms and conditions are correct so no actor is going into a job unsure about what they will expect to turn up too, as acting can be a dangerous business where terms and conditions may be slipped past actors and not actually realise they are going into a dodgy production, such as pornography. Equity and makes sure that actors are getting paid and treated correctly. It protects actors rights and makes sure that they are working in correct health and safety conditions
They offer legal advice and financial advice this includes, staff development and copyright. Equity provide a service to help all actors and the equality in the performing arts.

The BETCU is a service to help protect the technical team and side of the performance. The tech crew have a union for staging and lighting this makes sure that they also have their terms and conditions protected. They also make sure they are working in regulated health and safety conditions as this can be dangerous within rigging stages.

Arts council England help funding from literature, singers, dancers and all round performances and they give out an estimate of £1.2 billion to the arts within England. This would be the place to go if you were putting on a production of your own this would be the place you would first go to get funding. When applying for funding from the Arts council it is best to have some possible funding already under your belt they don't want you to fully rely on just 1 place of funding as this is not practical for a production.


BECTU is the last company I will be looking it at. It is the UK's media and entertainment trade union; sectors covered include broadcasting, film, independent production, theatre and the arts, leisure and digital media.

BECTU provides a wide range of services to its circa 25,000 members, including:

• Negotiating pay, conditions and contracts with employers
• Personal advice and representation for individual members
• Advice and representation on health and safety
• Benefits and services for BECTU members
• Training support and courses
• Networking events and career development opportunities
• Union journal, Stage Screen and Radio, published six times a year.
• Website designed to improve access to the union's advice and support.

The union is financed entirely by individual subscriptions from members.
The key aims of the union are to:
- protect jobs
- increase membership
- win new recognition agreements
- improve pay and conditions of service, including pensions.


ITC which stands for Independent Theatre Council. The ITC exists to enable the creation of high quality professional performing arts by supporting, representing and developing those who manage and produce it.
As an ITC member they recognise:

• That the performing arts have the power and potential to change lives and should be available to the many not the few.
• That the performing arts thrive when people are put before profit.
• The value of belonging to a community of performing arts professionals sharing and learning together.

They also aim to:

• Bring high quality, imaginative art to the widest possible audience.
• Provide the best possible working conditions and pay.
• Promote inclusion, equal opportunities and diversity.
• Share knowledge and experience with peers.
• Actively engage with ITC and make good use of the services.