ID5580
CollectionIrish Actors' Equity Association
Collection DescriptionThe Writers', Actors', Artists' and Musicians' Association (WAAMA) was the predecessor to the Irish Actors' Equity Association. The WAAMA represented the various cultural fields but by the 1940's its activities had contracted to the extent that it was operating exclusively on behalf of actors. This suggested the necessity for reorganisation and redirection. Among the options discussed at this time were amalgamation with the British Equity which had opened a Northern Ireland branch in April 1948, amalgamation with the Variety Artists' Federation or with the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU). Despite these options at a general meeting in January 1949 members concerned themselves with reorganisation, adopting the name Irish Actors' Equity Association, a new constitution and set of rules. Initial discussion of draft rules focused upon eligibility for membership of an association for those who were professionally involved in all aspects of acting and production. From the beginning, Equity was not restricted to theatrical production and became more involved with the organisation of performers in all the performing arts; TV, variety and cabaret, ballet and advertising. Equity was involved and cooperated with other national performers unions, especially the International Federation of Actors (Federation Internationale des Acteurs). An executive committee member of the IFA, Equity hosted a symposium on 'The theatre and the actor in society' in Dublin in 1969. [UCD Archives]
Collection Web Addresshttps://www.ucd.ie/archives/collections/depositedcollections...
ReferenceTU12
Description

Draft constitution, rules and changes of rules, 1947-1977.

Minute Books of Executive Committee, general and annual general meetings 1947-1974.

Minute Books of Writers Guild Committee, executive committee and general meetings of the Writers', Actors', Artists' and Musician's Association, 1941-1942, 1947-1948.

Annual Reports, 'Equity Calling', 1957-1971; 'Equity Annual', 1971-1977.

Documentation relating to Annual General meetings, 1973-1980.

Founders Luncheon and Award, 1966-1970.

Correspondence with other trade union organisations and performers' representative bodies including:
Irish Federation of Musicians and Allied Professions including discussion documents on the proposed merger of Equity and IFMAP, 1947-1980, British Actors Equity, 1970-1977, Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, 1948-1980, Dublin Council of Trade Unions, 1967-1980; Dublin Council of Trade Unions, 1967-1980 and Irish Congress of Trade Union, 1979.

Correspondence with theatre managers, film and theatrical production companies, and employers representative organisations including:
Abbey Theatre, 1959-1975; Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland, 1968-1979, Ardmore Studios, 1967-1974, Irish Ballet Company, 1973-1977 and Irish Theatre Managers' Association, 1969-1971.

Correspondence with Radio Telefís Éireann concerning the conditions of employment of the various categories of staff in the station including newsreaders, repertory players, producers and directors, producers and directors, sound effect staff and disc operators, 1963-1980; correspondence on sponsored programmes, 1970-1975, minutes and correspondence of the RTE Group of Unions, 1975-1980, correspondence, reports and submissions concerning industrial disputes in the station, 1968-1981, Equity policy documents on broadcasting , 1973 1974, correspondence with and submission to the Braodcasting Review Committee, 1971-1973.

Carbaret Section, Variety Section and Freelance Actors' Section correspondence, 1965-1979, Equity Education Sub-Committee policy documents and correspondence, 1968-1973;, correspondence with governmental and educational bodies including the Department of Industry and Commerce, 1948-1980 and the College of Industrial Relations, 1964-1980.

Applications for membership, 1961-1972, copies of circulars sent to members, 1971-1977, financial statements, 1948-1979, film crowd work accounts, 1942-1946, press cuttings, 1948-1956.

Federation Internationale des Arteurs documentation including minutes, memoranda, resolutions, correspondence, circulars and news-sheets related to symposia, congresses and meetings of the executive committee and the Common Market Unions' Group, 1961-1980.

AccessBy prior appointment.
Date1942-1980
Century20th
Keywords
Note

This collection was deposited in UCD Archives in April 1980.

Access: Available by appointment to holders of a UCD Archives reader's ticket. Produced for consultation in original format.

Repository NameUCD Archives
AddressJames Joyce Library UCD Belfield Dublin 4
EircodeD04 R7R0
Telephone(01) 716-7555
Email Addressarchives@ucd.ie
Repository Web Addresswww.ucd.ie/archives
latitude53.30671
longitude-6.22347