From 18 to 20 May 2024, FIA Future Now (FFN), the young members committee of FIA, held its second in-person meeting in Birmingham, a historic industrial city in the West Midlands of England, renowned as the home of Shakespeare and the setting of “Peaky Blinders”.
Thanks to the gracious invitation from Equity UK, FFN members had the unique opportunity not only to meet face-to-face for the second time since the group’s inception in 2021, but also to participate in Equity’s annual Conference with its members – an important event for one of FIA’s strongest members.
During their three days in Birmingham, FFN members attended and engaged in a series of meetings and social events.
On 18 May, FFN members joined Equity members for the opening of the Conference. This provided FFN delegates with an opportunity to observe a prominent union in action and mingle with their UK colleagues. They listened to a several inspiring addresses, including those by Lynda Rooke, President of Equity, and Paul Fleming, General Secretary. They also witnessed the adoption of a several motions, notably those on equality and inclusion.
Later that evening, FIA young members attended an International Reception hosted by Equity. This event brought together artists and trade unionists from around the world to discuss the situation of performers and creatives in their home countries. Speakers included Dominick Luquer, General Secretary of FIA, as well as two FFN members, Frana Marjia Vulić Vranković from HDDU, Croatia, and Londiwe Shange from SAGA, South Africa. After introducing FIA Future Now and thanking Equity for the invitation, Frana Marija and Londiwe emphasized the importance of the youth group, and the crucial role young people can play in building global union solidarity.
Day two began with the first half-day of the FFN meeting. Members discussed various topics, including union governance, the inclusion of FFN into the democratic processes of FIA, and mentoring. They also reviewed the draft ‘FFN Starter Pack’, designed to provide key information about FIA and FFN to new group members. Additionally, participants received two presentations: one about FIA’s history, governance and groups, and another one on atypical workers.
In the afternoon, FFN delegates joined Equity members at the Rep Theatre for the Conference Fringe, featuring a series short events organised by different parts of the union on a variety of topics, such as LGBT+ rights, intimacy coordination and the history of Equity. FFN members also organised their own Fringe event titled “Being a Young Performers and a Young Trade Unionist: A Global Conversation”, during which four FFN members – Arslan Akbutin (Equity); Bruno Coronel (ANDA); Jannik Rodenwaldt (GDBA) and Londiwe Shange (SAGA) – discussed the challenges faced by young performers, their own trade-union journeys, and how they believe performers’ unions can better represent and defend young workers in the sector.
The last day was devoted to the second half-day of the FFN meeting, during which several Equity staff members presented campaigns aimed at combating low-paid and unpaid work. FFN members then discussed artificial intelligence and its potential impact on performers. In this context, Cathy Sweet, Equity TV Official, spoke about the upcoming negotiations between Equity and PACT on film and TV agreements, with AI being one of the central topics.
Overall, the Birmingham experience was highly enriching for FFN members, offering them a valuable opportunity to meet in-person and delve into crucial issues facing young performers.
