COLLECTIVE CALL FOR CHANGE
Equity’s new campaign, Represent, is a recognition of the pressing need to build an industry that is inclusive, accessible and safe for all creative workers. Joti Gore reports on its genesis and aspirations.
Fifteen years ago, when I made Australia my home I immediately joined the union and signed with agents and management. Over the years, I have found ways to be more active from serving on committees to becoming a Victorian delegate for National Performers Committee. As the new Equity Federal Vice President, I am a proud multi-racial touring performer who has been involved in unions in Australia and abroad for over 25 years and worked in multiple parts of the industry including film, TV, commercial, dance, music, theatre, and voiceovers.
There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in the arts community to a truly inclusive, diverse, equitable pay and opportunity, and accurate representation of and for the myriad of people that make up the beautiful landscape of Australia.
If inclusion, diversity, opportunity and access already existed in every aspect of the industry then there would be no need to highlight the exigency, traumatic experiences and stories, the disparity in the workplace, the lack of respect, lack of cultural & inclusive understanding, and lack of opportunities and balanced representations of people of colour, women, LGBTQIA+, trans, gender diverse, neurodiverse, disabled, and age.
Created by the Equity Diversity Committee, Represent is a collective rally for change and a great way to endorse, and actively participate in a positive movement for change in stage arts, media, music, film industry, and the Australian community at large.
It is imperative that we as a community embrace the understanding that the new way of being is to elevate our Australian arts community collectively to a new level of creativity and success through Represent, demanding that every aspect of the arts industry is no longer them and us. The arts industry needs to be so diverse and inclusive that it is “we” on both sides of the table. Then and only then, can there be true fairness, equitable casting, inclusion in every aspect of the industry, and accessibility for everyone. There is room for everyone in the industry. We must embrace Represent not just as another box to tick but with a commitment to action change. Change is often challenging. If we do this together, then we can have a profound affect, not only on the arts community but a positive impact on society in Australia.
At the Represent campaign launch in Sydney in late March, speakers called for solidarity to build an industry that is inclusive, accessible and safe for all creative workers. Rejecting tokenism and emphasising the need for change to the industry’s structures and values, participants shared stories of employers, managers and institutions actively discouraging and minimising their creative work, shared the disparity in equitable pay, and emotional toll it had taken.
The arts industry has to be so diverse and inclusive that it is ‘we’ on both sides of the table. Then, and only then, can there be true fairness, equitable casting, inclusion in every aspect of the industry and accessibility for everyone. We must embrace Represent, not just as another box to tick but with a commitment to change. If we do this together, we can have a profound effect on the arts community and a positive impact on Australian society.
For union members and the arts industry to action Represent is to actively enlist everyone, provide education about ableism, racism, gender equality and neurodiversity, and ensure there are opportunities for those with accessibility needs. It also means to constantly study, support and be an activist for the betterment of everyone in our community, be they people of colour, BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, trans, gender-diverse, neurodiverse, disabled, aging or financially disenfranchised.
The way the industry expresses values through casting, operations, education, pay and day-to-day interactions reflects their priorities. For far too long, it has been consistently conveyed that a demographic of our community are not talented enough, beautiful in comparison to, valued as important contributors, educated as much, or abled. The history of words, articles, competitions, workplace inequities, treatment and tokenism has created a dire situation that requires immediate change. We must have representation in every aspect of the industry, from boards to casting teams, offices to technical staff, and creatives to stage performers.
This is not a call to place unqualified people in positions that undermine or lower standards, but to recognise the beautiful creative skills and potential in a host of people who have been overlooked. We must not be worn down by past and current egregious behaviours but be encouraged because the winds of change are blowing strong from coast to coast.
We also must recognise and thank our predecessors for their tireless efforts to achieve the many opportunities and rights we currently enjoy. As a result of previous MEAA campaigns for diversity and inclusion, we have seen monumental change and great achievements, such as cultural leave, the wage increases that are coming, cultural and diversity consultants and intimacy coordinators, but it’s not nearly enough. We need your help to do more; we need consistent action.
Now it’s our turn to roll up our sleeves and continue to fight, strategise and execute our plans for the betterment of everyone. We must lift and cheer each other on. In an audition last year, someone said to me, “You’re my competition.” I replied, “No Boo, we are not going to do that. We are going to hype each other up. If it happens that you get it and I don’t, wonderful”.
We must change this view of not lifting each other up and celebrate each other, support each other, because if You win, I win. If I win, You win. We must celebrate and support each other, because if you win, I win; if I win, you win.
It is vitally important for every one of us to join, create, give voice to and be an active part of our community. As we have representation in all sections of the arts, there is no more separation. We need active union participation. We need to enlist our allies, our community.
In the past, some companies have made agreements publicly, hiring culture advisors and intimacy coordinators in order to tick a box. A few months later, check-ins and all the things they committed to do are thrown out the window. These companies need to be held accountable but let’s do more. Let’s make history by holding ourselves accountable and supporting each other.
As the Equity Federal Vice President, I believe it is important for you to join, create, give your voice to, and be an active part of our community. You are the most important part. As we have representation in all aspects of the arts community there is no more separation. We can do this but not alone we need more people, we need active union participation. We need to enlist our allies, our community, and hold them and ourselves accountable to REPRESENT!
Joti Gore has performed around the world as actor, director, singer/songwriter, dancer/choreographer, voiceover and recording artist. Some of his credits include the original cast of Disney’s Frozen Australian and International tours as King Agnarr, historic character Booker T. Washington in TPC’s Ragtime the Musical, the voice of Papa Teddy in Stan & ABC’s animation, Big Words Small Stories (AUS, UK, USA & Canada), currently on tour as Roy Brown/Fats/Otis in Elvis, A Musical Revolution. Joti is Equity Federal Vice President and a member of the Equity Diversity Committee.
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