Some past events
Recent members’ meetings
Business Meetings are held at least twice a year, to discuss membership issues, events, activities, developments in our Industry, Equity negotiations in Recorded Media and Live Performance, and news from British Equity Collecting Society (BECS). Minutes are stored in the confidential Members’ Area/Archive section.
Our Annual General Meetings approve the Accounts, Annual Report, elect Officers and members of the Management Committee. The Officers for 2025 are on the Contact Us page. AGM minutes, Annual Repports and Accounts are sent to members, and are stored in the confidential Members’ Area/Archive section.
Several Contracts Meetings have been held, some for all members, sometimes just with one agency. An advice session about setting up a co-op agency was given to the London College of Music’s acting course.
Some Other Past Events
- British Equity Collecting Society In 2020, we held a meeting for our members with BECS’ CEO, Tayyiba Nasser. Many eligible performers have not joined BECS. BECS is free to join, but separate from Equity membership. Non-members miss out on money BECS collects for them from other collecting societies.
- Inter Co-op Forum discuss issues such as Agenting Skills, Diversity, Rules and legal structures.
- Contracts & Equity Agreements: We’ve held several sessions with Equity to discuss Union Agreements and contracts, both Equity and non-union. Issues include problems with fees, questionable clauses and frequent unlawful non-payment of Holiday Pay.
- Legal Issues Equity’s Martin Kenny, discussed contracts, regulations about entertainment agencies, copyright and money owed by employers.
- Low Pay / No Pay work Equity’s former Organizer for Low Pay / No Pay work brought us up to date with Equity’s significant progress in this area
- Advice Seminar We held an advice session at Spotlight for those interested in co-op agencies.
- Casting Directors Seminars We’ve held many Seminars with Casting Directors for our members, to help them become better agents. Panellists have included Francesca Greene, Debbie O’Brien, Jeremy Zimmerman (plus assistants), Gillian Hawser, Suzy Korel, Sharon Levinson, Janet Hampson, Sophie Marshall, Gennie Radcliffe, Michael Syers, Kate Day, Hannah Miller, Helena Palmer, Jill Trevellick, Laura Windows, John Cannon, Anne McNulty, John Manning, Sooki McShane, Toby Whale, Sarah Hughes, Carolyn McLeod, Derek Barnes, Carl Proctor, Joyce Nettles, Kelly Hendry, Victor Jenkins, Lou Clouter, Alastair Coomer, Tree Petts, Annie Rowe, Ros Hubbard, Jane Deitch, Jane Frisby, Danielle Tarento, Aisha Walters, Manuel Puro, Nadine Rennie, Neil Rutherford, Matt Selby, Belinda Norcliffe, Michael Cox, Richard Evans, Ginny Schiller, Andrea Clark, Emily Jones, Suzanne Smith, Heather Basten, Hannah Ashby-Ward, Grace Hudson, David Grindrod, Brendan McNamara and Zita Zunik Konak. Most Seminars were chaired by Christine Payne (Equity’s former General Secretary) and Ian Manborde (Equity’s former Equalities Organizer).
CPMA Tenth Birthday celebration on June 21st 2012
The CPMA celebrated its 10th birthday at the Concert Artiste’s Association in Covent Garden, London (now the Club for Acts & Actors).
Thirteen CPMA member-agencies were represented. Guests included the late Martin Brown (then Equity Assistant General Secretary), and BBC Casting Director Derek Barnes. Martin said Equity welcomed the creation of the CPMA. Reasons included the CPMA’s Code of Conduct and the professionalism of co-op agencies. Nearly all actors in co-op agencies are Equity members, and Equity membership is actively promoted. The CPMA has a constructive relationship with Equity and is frequently consulted about industry developments.
Corinna Marlowe, former CPMA Chair, read a message from our founder and first Secretary, Kim Gillespie, formerly of The Central Line:
“Given the many failed attempts at working together prior to the setting up of the CPMA, it is testimony to the role the association plays in raising professional standards and the high status it enjoys in the industry as a whole, that it has now been in existence for 10 years. We set up the association to counter the perception (and sometimes the reality) of flaky working practices. This is not an ultimate goal, but a continuing mission, one that demands all the professional development events that the association can organise, and the robust intervention and representation at industrial forums. I know the association will be around to celebrate many more anniversaries – it has to be, I’m coming back at some point! Nice website, by the way Cheers, Kim.”
She also paid tribute to the second Secretary, Robin Middleton; third Secretary, Janet Behan; and Treasurer at the time, Denise Kennedy. She said the organisation had been through some bad times, with only a few rather mature activists, but that recently new people had come forward, including some splendidly dynamic young women who had helped a great deal, for example, with the website and this event.
She thanked all committee members, especially Nim Johnson and Helen Kennedy for their work on the first website, the Perfect Party planners – Rosalie Jorda, Patsy Blower, Mariesa Clarke and Sara Bahadori (who found our then-webmaster, Darren Berry), and all who had given their time to come to business meetings.