In the first of series of interviews with Equity Officers, Honorary Treasurer David John talks about his life, career, Equity activism and the role of Honorary Treasurer.
Please tell us a bit about yourself, your career and personal interests.
My career started in April 1979 when I left Drama School early to take a job at Contact Theatre Manchester in Jungle Music by Peter Flannery as an Actor/Musician (Drummer). I had attended Arts Educational School from the age of 11 on a government grant. It’s one of my ambitions to improve funding for Arts Education as I was fortunate enough to get it. Without that financial support I wouldn’t have been able to attend Arts Ed. I’ve had a varied career across Theatre, Film, TV and Audio. After that first job I auditioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company and much to my amazement I got the job. I remember thinking I had no chance which was my imposter syndrome kicking in. I was doing a Shakespeare piece in front of four middle class directors thinking “What am I even doing here”? It was a wonderful experience touring with the RSC performing Shakespeare and Brecht with seasoned actors. Much more of an education in theatre than Drama School could ever be. Having found representation with a good agent I then worked across the industry from the RSC to the West End including national tours and several London fringe theatres.
I appeared in feature films, the first being the Oscar winning Chariots of Fire, another extraordinary and educational experience. I worked on many TV productions from Play for Today to BBC Playhouse to various sitcoms. I also appeared as a regular character in an early soap opera TV commercial for Vauxhall Cars which is the single reason I was able to get a mortgage. To cut a long story short I had a busy and enjoyable time for my first 10 years in the business. I started to get less work around the age of 30 so I had to take various other jobs to survive. I started working as a drummer and this led me to study percussion for a year in Havana, Cuba. On my return to London, I worked as the Cuban Consultant at Little Havana, Leicester Square in central London as well as running the band Cubanito. During this period, I focused on Audio work and when Little Havana closed I continued working as an Audio Artist till this day. I returned to the theatre this year at the Queens Theatre Hornchurch in Wilko after more than 20 years as a single parent.
When and why did you first join Equity?
When I joined Equity it wasn’t a choice. You joined or you couldn’t work back in the closed shop days. The issue was that it was very difficult to get an Equity card. I was offered the job at Manchester Contact Theatre in an emergency. They’d lost their actor/drummer during the first week of rehearsals and a friend of mine who I was in a band with was in the play and suggested me to the director. We spoke on the phone and he offered me the job. This meant leaving Drama School before I’d graduated. I was prepared to do that for an Equity Card, but would I get one? Equity said no and told the Director to find an Equity member for the job. He said that he simply didn’t have time as rehearsals had begun so there was a dispute. I remember one day being told I couldn’t do the job and a couple of days later being told that I could. The compromise that Equity made was that they would give me a letter stating that I had permission to take the job but that they wouldn’t offer me an Equity card. What they did offer me was a provisional Equity card the next time I was offered professional work. My next offer was the RSC and I spent the year contract there until I’d ticked off my 40 weeks work when I finally got my full Equity membership.
Why did you decided to become active in the union? Did you hold any other posts in the union before Honorary Treasurer.
I was encouraged by a wonderful colleague John Bull, who was standing down from the Audio Committee. At the time, around 2010, I was working exclusively in Audio. When he suggested that I should consider standing, once I’d got past the usual imposter syndrome, (why would they want me to do it?) I recalled an incident when I was working for the BBC on a TV drama in the 80’s when they’d tried to underpay the actors’ expenses. I felt affronted and after speaking to my agent and Equity to confirm what our rights were, I organised the other actors who were all very supportive and I told the production manager that we would refuse to work the next day if the situation wasn’t resolved. It took a good few hours of backwards and forwards but in the end they backed down. We felt great and utterly vindicated. So, I stood for the Audio Committee with that in mind and was elected in 2011. In 2014 the position of Audio Councillor was reinstated as it had been lost in the restructuring of the union. I played an active part in fighting for its return and when we won a 2/3rds majority at the ARC (Equity Conference) and the membership ratified it in a referendum. I then stood to be the Audio Councillor, a post I hold to this day.
What would you say to people who are thinking about becoming active in the union for the first time?
If you’re thinking about it… get involved! Maybe start in a branch or on a committee.
Class wasn’t ever mentioned when I was first elected to the Council. Now it’s front and centre of our thinking.
What has been your proudest moment as an Equity activist?
Becoming an Officer of the union. I felt for many years that the Equity Council was exclusive so just to be elected as a Councillor felt extraordinary to me, but to be asked and encouraged to take on the role of Honorary Treasurer is a privilege and an honour.
Also being a founding member of the Class Network alongside fellow Councillor and Chair of the network Stephanie Greer fills me with great pride. The network has gone from strength to strength and Class wasn’t ever mentioned when I was first elected to the Council. Now it’s front and centre of our thinking. We’re about to launch our manifesto and a hub for working class members to connect with people across the industry. There’s much to do but I feel that the issues for members from lower socio-economic backgrounds are huge and often insurmountable and this issue is extremely important to the industry, from authentic representation to fair pay and surviving in the industry without money and connections behind you.
Please tell us about the role of Honorary Treasurer, what does it entail?
The HT is one of four elected Lay Officers and as such we represent Equity members at the top table of the union. Therefore, it is a huge responsibility to make sure we understand the issues that are widely and deeply felt across the membership. My responsibilities as HT include running the benevolent fund, presenting the annual accounts to the Equity Conference. I have the right to inspect the union’s financial records to ensure compliance with the rule book and to examine the annual accounts and endorse them for Council’s approval. I also present the draft budget for the Council’s approval. Politically I act as a third VP.
We must continue our campaigns against the cuts in The Arts and ensure that the new government puts Arts and Culture funding on their agenda as well as putting Arts Education back in the curriculum.
What one thing to do you want Equity to achieve over the next two years?
If we can succeed in our Class Action against Spotlight and seriously reduce the fees that members pay in future that would make me very happy. As Honorary Treasurer I must also ensure that Equity remains in a stable financial position and is therefore in a position to continue engaging in campaigns and successful industrial negotiations with the aim of better pay and better terms and conditions for all Equity members. We must continue our campaigns against the cuts in The Arts and ensure that the new government puts Arts and Culture funding on their agenda as well as putting Arts Education back in the curriculum. I fully support Equity’s demands to get UK arts funding to the European average of 0.5% of GDP and that all publicly funded projects should put the workforce on trade union agreements. This includes an ambition to finally secure a collectively bargained agreement with the Games Industry. We are crucial to its great success and are still often underpaid for this work.
