Tag: Equity

Posted on

The ‘Tax on Hope’ drama continues: Parliament to debate casting directory fees ahead of July High Court hearing.

Parliament is currently debating laws that allow casting directories, such as Spotlight, and other recruitment platforms for creatives to charge upfront fees to work-seekers (performers and actors like me).

In most industries, charging work-seekers a fee, whether they find work or not, is illegal. However, Spotlight and other directories enjoy a carve-out from regulations governing employment agencies that is specific to the performing arts i.e. they are exempt and can legally charge fees.

However, this exemption does come with limitations. For instance, the law details how directories can’t charge whatever amount they choose – fees must be no more than a reasonable cost of circulating the work-seeker’s details. This is where Equity (the British performing arts and entertainment trade union) is challenging Spotlight in the High Court (hearing set for July 2025). Equity has asked Spotlight to explain how the estimated £1.5 million per month they receive from work-seekers constitutes a ‘reasonable cost’.

Equity is pushing to end casting directory fees entirely; Parliament deciding to amend the entertainment industry carve-out would be a significant step in that direction.

Posted on

Equity vs. Spotlight: the Tax On Hope drama continues

[Spotlight is a UK casting directory, which matches actors with available jobs. Spotlight claims to have around 90,000 members and 99% of projects in theatre, TV, and film are cast through them. Equity is a performing arts and entertainment trade union]

Some fresh developments to this little drama: Equity asked Spotlight to prove how their subscription fees are a fair charge based on the following bit of law:

“the fee charged to the work-seeker [must] amount to no more than a reasonable estimate of the cost of production and circulation of the publication attributable to the inclusion of information about that work-seeker in the publication”

In response, Spotlight says they’re not an employment agency and therefore not subject to the above law and not obligated to prove anything.

Equity is now taking this to the High Court to get a judgement that says the law does apply to Spotlight. More details at Equity – the FAQ section at the bottom is especially interesting.

A few key points:

Since 2020, annual Spotlight subs have risen from £158 to £198 (£216 if paying monthly).

One might argue that the general rise in costs everywhere justifies the increase. However, even at £158 the same questions apply: How much does it actually cost Spotlight to list performers in their digital directory? Are performers being unfairly squeezed? Should performers seeking work be paying for any of it anyway?

My prediction for the next stage in this little drama: Spotlight (now owned by international group, Talent Services) will wrap this up in litigation. Any change will be slow, small and hard won.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if all performers on Spotlight changed to the monthly subscription? Sure, it would cost a little more in the short term, but imagine the entire membership being able to suspend their fees at short notice, all together: that’s 90,000 performers NOT paying £18 – Spotlight would lose £1,620,000 each month. And members would control the on/off switch to Spotlight’s income stream. Reckon that could be mildly compelling.

Video: “Then you may remain, so long as you stay silent, pay attention”
Posted on

Equity vs. Spotlight: let the Tax On Hope drama unfold

Finally, the British performers’ union, Equity, is lobbying against Spotlight – its high subscription fees and the laws that protect this money making casting monopoly. 

“In the UK, the practice of charging work seekers to join a directory such as Spotlight is illegal in most sectors, but the performing arts and entertainment industries are expressly exempted from this law.”

Find all the key points in the original Equity article.

Reckon we’re in for the usual corporate ploys – the old definition-dodge and semantic-swing. The question is: how far will our Equity fees take this little drama – to the moon 🚀?