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The Apprentice Membership Program is an exciting avenue opening
up career opportunities for thousands of non-ACTRA members just
like you! Through the Apprentice Membership Program, you can
now signal your intention to become a full ACTRA Member and start
your membership working for you right away.
Your Apprentice Membership Card immediately opens up potentially
lucrative performing opportunities for you by ensuring
your eligibility for all ACTRA work including previously restricted
background performing in film, television and commercials as well
as radio commercials. As an Apprentice Member you become
eligible for placement in ACTRA's renowned talent catalogues, Face
to Face Online.
Within ACTRA, you will receive all the applicable rights, privileges
and mailings of a full Member including full non-voting participation
in ACTRA Membership meetings.
More important, though, as an Apprentice Member
you automatically join the professional ranks of your peers performing
in film, television and radio.
If you hold at least one work permit, you are eligible to become
an Apprentice Member. This includes work permits for principal and
acting roles as well as stunt but excludes work permits issued for
background performing. There is a $75.00 initiation fee plus an
annual fee of $75.00 that you would pay upon becoming an Apprentice
Member.
Becoming an Apprentice Member is an important step in your
performing career that should be handled personally. To
start on the path to a performing career, come into your local Branch
office, fill out a short application and sign a declaration that
it is your intention to become a full ACTRA Member. Upon
signing and becoming an Apprentice Member you will receive your
Apprentice Members Card, copies of the ACTRA Constitution and
By-Laws plus other information materials to assist you in your chosen
career.
If it is impossible for you to come in, call the Branch Office
in your region and we'll mail you the required information. Your
agent cannot sign you up for the Program.
Once you become an Apprentice Member, your next step on the
performers' career path is to assemble the body of work, signified
by work permits, necessary to advance to full Membership status.
You will require six work permits to be eligible
to apply for full membership status. Because ACTRA firmly
believes that a career in our profession should be equally accessible
to all persons, we have established that three eligible work permits
are sufficient for visible minorities and disabled to become full
Members.
Apprentice Members, like full Members, do have certain obligations
towards themselves and their colleagues. Full details on these are
available at your local Branch Office but here are some of the most
important:
Apprentice Members must obtain and pay for work permits until
such time as they become Full Members.
Like Full Members, Apprentice Members may not
accept non-ACTRA work in film, television and radio. You
may only do ACTRA films, television and radio programmes, commercials
and industrial and corporate videos and audio tapes.
Considering the many avenues of opportunity
that Apprentice Membership status opens for you, that's really
no restriction at all. Apprentice Members may accept non-union
theatre work since ACTRA's reciprocal agreement with Canadian Actors'
Equity only applies to Full Members.
The Apprentice Member program is clearly the path of choice for
performers serious about their acting careers. It
is important that all performers stand together to raise professional
standards, stamp out exploitation of non-union performers and improve
performers' wages and working conditions. As an Apprentice
Member, you play a leading role in making a career in performing
more accessible, enjoyable and profitable for all of us.
The decision to embark on a career performing as an ACTRA Member
is not one to be taken lightly. Please call the Branch Office in
your area if you have any questions, comments or concerns about
the Apprentice Membership Program.
We look forward to warmly inviting you into our ranks.
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