The 'a' word

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	Topic: The 'a' word
Posted : 12/07/10 / Views : 2113 / Replies : 15 /
Eleanor.Swift 2 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Whilst browsing through magazines in a newsagents (yes, I was early for an appointment!), I came across a letter from a reader about the BAFTAs. During the speeches that night several actors mentioned the recent financial cutbacks and the pain they cause. The author of the letter explained this and then went on to say "...I would invite those who made such comments into any NHS hospital or practice, where cutbacks threaten lives rather than careers." There is absolutely nothing wrong with this letter (in fact, I agree with the author - NHS cutbacks shouldn't happen), were it not for the fact that nowhere in the BAFTA ceremony did anyone imply that cutbacks should be made to the NHS instead. So why write that letter? It's this general attitude towards our profession that I hate. The suggestion that what we do is unimportant and irrelevant. How dare we complain about the challenges that face our business when there are so many more worth while things out there? I have come across this opinion everywhere - parties, family gatherings, work. I don't have a "proper job" or "proper troubles" (apparently). Fair enough: we aren't saving lives. But neither are millions of other people out there in thousands of other professions! So why, when I moan about not being paid or the lack of work, is it me who gets snapped at? I know full well that I should just ignore it and accept it. But the more it happens, the harder it gets to do that. Thankfully my parents back me up and support me or I think I'd go mad at the family meetings and end up screaming at everyone ... Please tell me I'm not the only one!

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	Reply #1
Posted : 15/06/10
kirkmoore 80 posts last on: 13/01/12 send private reply	People who aren't involved in the acting trade aren't aware of the stuff we have to go through. All they see are the Angelinas, Brads and Georges, getting paid squillions to look smug on camera for ninety minutes to two hours... The arts will suffer financially in any recession, but on the other hand, a lack of money and times of hardship can sometimes be quite good for creativity. If you look at some of the artistic movements and ideas that came out of situations like the great depression and the post war years, sometimes a little pain goes a long way! Yes, you will get snapped at if you moan about a lack of money as an actor - especially since we are now in an 'age of austerity' (whatever that means), and everyone (bar the toffs, naturally) is suffering to some extent. The trick is, I guess, just to put your head down, get on with it... and then save moaning about it until you can moan about it with fellow downtrodden actors!

Reply #1

Posted : 15/06/10

kirkmoore
80 posts
last on: 13/01/12
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People who aren't involved in the acting trade aren't aware of the stuff we have to go through. All they see are the Angelinas, Brads and Georges, getting paid squillions to look smug on camera for ninety minutes to two hours...

The arts will suffer financially in any recession, but on the other hand, a lack of money and times of hardship can sometimes be quite good for creativity.

If you look at some of the artistic movements and ideas that came out of situations like the great depression and the post war years, sometimes a little pain goes a long way!

Yes, you will get snapped at if you moan about a lack of money as an actor - especially since we are now in an 'age of austerity' (whatever that means), and everyone (bar the toffs, naturally) is suffering to some extent. The trick is, I guess, just to put your head down, get on with it... and then save moaning about it until you can moan about it with fellow downtrodden actors!

	Reply #2
Posted : 15/06/10
Nigel.Peever 344 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Personally I think we could do with a few cutbacks in the NHS, i.e.charge a few people for their saturday night TAXI/Ambulance alcohol poisoning remedy and we could probably save enough to run the RSC and the National Theatre simply from the reduction in Police time wasted.

	Reply #3
Posted : 15/06/10
kirkmoore 80 posts last on: 13/01/12 send private reply	You could call it 'muppet tax'!

	Reply #4
Posted : 15/06/10
pole 320 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	...Your not the only one ! People (the audience), get bored with their daily lives & it's our job to entertain them; Akin to when they (the audience) need teeth fillings,GP appointments or a plumber because their boiler has exploded ! 'Pole'

	Reply #5
Posted : 16/06/10
kirkmoore 80 posts last on: 13/01/12 send private reply	Otherwise, it'd be 'reality' tv, 24/7.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

	Reply #6
Posted : 19/06/10
Eleanor.Swift 2 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	I gave up talking about it all a while back - if anyone asks me anything now it's all "I'm fine" and "it's great". No point complaining to people who won't understand and don't want to hear it! It is really annoying though ...

	Reply #7
Posted : 19/06/10
Fuzz 628 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	But art is a very powerful medium. We do much more then entertain. A lot of the acting stuff I have done has aimed to send out a messages to people, to enlighten and educate. Without actors these things wouldn't be brought to life. Art reaches peoples souls. And when we liaise with CD's and Production Companies etc we aim to be professional in the same way as an accountant, lawyer, teacher....

	Reply #8
Posted : 19/06/10
Stephen.Gosnell 30 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	I fully agree with the op,it can be so infuriating when you hear the imortal words so how is the acting going. All i can say is that in this buissness you have to fight all the way.the ordinary folk just dont want to believe the majority of actors are paid a pittance,and have zero pension fund,it might not offer the most security but it is a bloody good laugh.

	Reply #9
Posted : 20/06/10
leileireid 257 posts last on: 03/02/12 send private reply	I went out for a drink with some of my friends all who have graduated uni and have 9-5 jobs and how ironic is this my friend is temping because her graduate placement finished and that's OK. But If I temp they say that I am dossing about and have not got a proper job because I am an actor. They also do not consider acting to be a profession, they said that if you cannot earn a regular wage from it. Irony again I said what about people in soaps or people on a 6/9 month contract in the west end to them that is a job if you are in one of those two groups you can call acting a job. If not acting is a hobby when you occasionally get paid for. Non actors don't understand how the industry actually work and when you try to explain to them they don't believe you. They don't believe that you work on a script before you perform it they think you just read the lines. Thats it, they don't believe you when they say how long the hours are and what you have to put up with some times when gaining credits like being treated as a piece of furniture. I could go on but I think that people don't see it as an art form.

Reply #9

Posted : 20/06/10

leileireid
257 posts
last on: 03/02/12
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I went out for a drink with some of my friends all who have graduated uni and have 9-5 jobs and how ironic is this my friend is temping because her graduate placement finished and that's OK. But If I temp they say that I am dossing about and have not got a proper job because I am an actor.

They also do not consider acting to be a profession, they said that if you cannot earn a regular wage from it. Irony again I said what about people in soaps or people on a 6/9 month contract in the west end to them that is a job if you are in one of those two groups you can call acting a job. If not acting is a hobby when you occasionally get paid for.

Non actors don't understand how the industry actually work and when you try to explain to them they don't believe you.

They don't believe that you work on a script before you perform it they think you just read the lines. Thats it, they don't believe you when they say how long the hours are and what you have to put up with some times when gaining credits like being treated as a piece of furniture. I could go on but I think that people don't see it as an art form.

	Reply #10
Posted : 21/06/10
Ethan Richard Cha... 7 posts last on: 06/02/12 send private reply	Well, the NHS is a wonderful thing and used correctly is probably the best thing this country has to offer - sadly it isn't used to it's best advantage. The NHS has more than enough money poured into it...what eeds to be looked at is how it is spent. I feel for nurses, they work long hours for not very competitive pay. And maybe in certain areas of the NHS, and also certain areas of the country maybe spending does need to be increased. However, the arts is a medicine in it's self. Imagine a world with out arts...if for one day the arts did not exist walking down the street what would you see...arts forms create our environment... it is impossible to have life with no arts! Impossible!

Reply #10

Posted : 21/06/10

Ethan Richard Cha...
7 posts
last on: 06/02/12
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Well, the NHS is a wonderful thing and used correctly is probably the best thing this country has to offer - sadly it isn't used to it's best advantage. The NHS has more than enough money poured into it...what eeds to be looked at is how it is spent. I feel for nurses, they work long hours for not very competitive pay. And maybe in certain areas of the NHS, and also certain areas of the country maybe spending does need to be increased.
However, the arts is a medicine in it's self. Imagine a world with out arts...if for one day the arts did not exist walking down the street what would you see...arts forms create our environment... it is impossible to have life with no arts! Impossible!

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