Open Meeting of Puppeteers

26th September 2016 at 1.30pm

Equity, Guild House, Upper St Martin's Lane London WC2H 9EG

Present:
Puppeteers: Aurora Adams, Ian Allen, Susan Beatie, Richard Booth, Mikey Brett, Alicia Britt,
Nicola Buckmaster, Nol Butler, Lesley Butler, David Buttin, Drew Colby, Jacob Corn, Corrinne Curtis,
Sabrina Daniele, Mark Down, Julia Dunbar McLean, Richard Duployen, Ken Ellis, Iestyn Evans,
Penny Francis, Keith Frederick, Tim Garrett, Chris Gaspar, Lori Hopkins, Matt Hutchinson, Jester Jim,
Chris Kendall, Zoie Kennedy, Sian Kidd, Andy Lawrence, Ronnie Le Drew, Marvyn Millar,
Aya Nakamura, Aiysha Nugent-Robinson, Rebecca O'Brien, Kate Powell, Peter Provis,
Professor Queen Bee, Pedd Raam, Andrew James Spooner, Roman Stefanski, Olly Taylor, Ian Thom,
Teresa Verney-Brookes, Adam Wittek
Staff: Emanuel de Lange, Organiser Low Pay / No Pay & Michael Day London Variety Organiser
Apologies for absence: Zoe Hunter, Charlotte Mafham, Phill Woodfine, Emma Powell,
Slavka Jovanovic, Peter Charlton, Darryl Worbey, Alison Clark, Kim Scopes, Pat Garrett,
Tigger Blaize, Ben Thompson, Charlotte Oliver, Connor Dowling, Oliver James Hymans
Patrick Comerford, Aftab Khan
Background: The open meeting arose from the need for better representation in the puppet industry
as a whole. Some puppeteers didnt feel like Equity understood what they did so they wanted to
start a network to communicate collectively.
Meeting goals:
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To establish if there was sufficient interest/need to form a specific network

To determine what the network would be and what it could achieve
To establish what Equity currently does for puppeteers
To determine who the network covers and what the network priorities should be

There are over 40,000 members of Equity, with 1000 members on the puppeteers register.
Generally, Equity provides individual members benefits such as insurance, advice and support, and
individual representation, access to the democratic structures, and collective agreements. Whats
been lacking for puppeteers is a specific voice within the union. The last open meeting for
puppeteers was 2001, and there were no specific outcomes in this regard leading from it.

What is a network?
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A group of members in a specific field or art form who want to get together to improve
things
There is no specific form it needs to take and a variety of options

Goals of the network can be to improve recognition; they dont need to be industrial. There should
be no limit to networks ambitions.
What should be the number one priority for the network?
Recognition of what puppeteers do:
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Some points made included:o Breadth of what puppeteers can be asked to do, particularly in recorded media
o Understanding of what a puppeteer does vs what CGI can do
o Important to be clear about what the puppeteers roles are on set as they can
become blurred
o Change the terminology can be classed as crew when its more like behind camera
performers particularly with animatronics
o Current Equity contracts dont acknowledge that puppeteers should be due royalties
from TV commercials due to the definition of featured artist
o Tendency to appreciate value more when youve had to fight for recognition
o Commanding a premium demands respect and provides assurance to bookers
o Puppeteers are both performers and involved in the production/crew side at the
end of the day they need to be recognised for their performing responsibilities too
o Need proper definitions around what is a professional puppeteer
o More on recognition credits
Improve crediting, improve recognition
Regularly credited as voice or at the very end of credits
o Need recognition of the cross-over nature of the work
o Understanding within Equity as to how puppeteers work goes above and beyond
variety and theyre many are not performing their own act
o There is a need to look at how puppeteers value themselves

Fees, contracts, guidelines etc:

-

Some points made included:o Need to look at the spectrum of fees, and potentially work with BECTU due to
backstage nature of some work. Puppeteers are often seen as technicians so dont
get performance rates
o There needs to be guidelines for rates as a freelancer that cover the whole process
i.e. designing, writing, performing etc
o Assistance with fees and contract writing
o Support around invoicing as a freelancer, support around setting up new companies,
voluntary work, line between voluntary and exploitation
o Bespoke contracts to encapsulate the whole puppeteer role
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Recognise puppeteers who take on extra work, and have an extra skill payment for
actors who take on puppetry responsibilities.
Need guidelines for production companies outlining different roles, health and
safety considerations, dos and donts, etc.

Professional Standards:
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Some points made included:o When theyre employed in live work, puppeteers are often engaged as a consultant
rather than a performer so their intellectual property could be compromised when
the show is reworked or revised
o Puppeteers need to take initiative around finding out who the puppet coordinator is
on set
o Puppeteers should get involved with Equity there is no point in joining then not
contacting the union. Equity is good for advice
o There is a huge issue around accessing jobs. In the theatre, actors are being trained
to use specific puppets for the show rather than engaging puppeteers
o Another issue is with organisations like BBC advertising for junior puppeteer roles
and expecting them to do admin tasks
o Puppetry is classified as a sub-art form at the Arts Council
o Private institutions are opening and becoming more respectable because theyre run
by professionals and peers
o Education institutes should start educating directors, creatives etc so everyone
knows what puppeteers do.
o Wimbledon College of Arts have a course for puppetry which sets a standard for
training. There was a need to put pressure on the entertainment community to hold
such places in high regard. It was also noted that this institution did not cover
marionettes
o There could be unrealistic expectations on trainees in TV
o There were issues around getting DBS checks for freelancers. Need more info on
safeguarding, protections, and regulations
o There was little support for young puppeteers, especially with low rates
undermining wages and quality
o Puppetry needs to be recognised as an art form with Spotlight. It is still listed as an
other skill which many actors tick. You cant select that youre highly skilled in the
field
o Access to internships/apprenticeships for emerging puppeteers was limited
o Companies need to stop hiring model makers instead of puppet makers

Health and Safety:

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Some points made included:o Maintenance of puppets needs to be in the contract or there needs to be a level of
expectation around maintenance and repairs as performers have suffered injuries
due to this
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The health and safety implications of having to wear and operate different types of
puppets was often not considered by employers resulting in injuries
It can be the case that when the puppeteer starts the contract, the puppet isnt
finished or made correctly and the puppeteer has to do this without payment
There could be a poor follow up of injuries so changes to puppets or working
practices were not made
Danger from noise and sound issues was often not considered

Puppeteers Network:
-

Some points made included:o The Network needs to encourage young puppeteers to get involved in Equity
o Diversity in puppetry needs to be addressed it tended to be very male and very
white
o Work needed to be done around disabled puppeteers including disabilities that
arent necessarily visible
o The Network should address concern about collateral damage when a puppeteer
wants to take up an issue with an employer. Although a case could be won it may
impact on future work
o There is a large number of puppeteers in the regions who dont feel represented and
there was a tendency towards being London-centric
o The support available through Equity should be highlighted more

The Next Steps:

Those present at the meeting who wanted to be part of network meetings had signed a sheet
circulating the room. A further meeting focussing on the points raised at this meeting and setting up
the network would be arranged in due course.
The notes of the meeting would be circulated to those present and those who registered an interest.
The meeting closed at 4.00pm.