The Apprentice Program for Performers

If you acquire three apprenticeship credits as a performer within a three-year period you can join Equity. Generally, you have to wait until the apprenticeship period ends to join Equity. However, if you acquire enough credits before the apprenticeship period has ended, and you wish to join right away please contact the membership department in writing to request early admission.

You must complete three productions for at least two different theatres within three years from the beginning of your first engagement. This can be extended upon request to four years for non-mainstream performers. The apprenticeship program may include touring inside Canada. At any time during your apprenticeship, if you are offered an Equity contract, you may accept it and join straight away.

If you are already registered as an apprentice and have received your first credit under either the Canadian or Independent Theatre Agreements (CTA or ITA), you can apply for apprentice credits for participation in Equity co-ops, Indie productions, Small Scale Theatre Artists (SSTA), Guest Artist, Fringe contracts etc., where:
• 50% plus one of the participants are Equity members and two-thirds of the performers are Equity members (not including the apprentices); OR
• the stage manager and director are Equity members.

Applying to the Program

CAEA has reciprocal agreements with Union des Artistes, ACTRA and with Actors’ Equity Association in the United States. If you are already a member of one of these organizations, you may not apprentice with Equity. Instead you must join as a full member. However, there may be extenuating circumstances, such as being an ACTRA member with little or no stage experience. If you feel you have extenuating circumstances, please write to Equity’s Executive Director.

If you become a member of a professional artists’ organization during your Equity apprenticeship, please inform Equity as soon as possible.

To apply for credits, an Equity apprentice should write a letter to either Equity office, where a Business Rep will determine whether a credit should be granted. If granted, the apprentice performer will need to pay the $125 registration fee, of which $100 goes toward the eventual initiation fee.

You may continue to work as an apprentice for more than the minimum number of productions required by the apprenticeship program while you are a participant. If you do choose to continue to work as an apprentice, you don’t have to pay additional registration fees but you must continue to register for each production. You can pay the registration fee if you choose, and continue to reduce your initiation fee. You may work without reference to an Equity contract for the duration of your apprenticeship. After you have completed the minimum number of productions, you may join Equity. This must be done within six months after the end of the three year period.

If you do not complete the minimum number of productions you may not join Equity and you begin forfeiting your registration fees. If there are extenuating circumstances that prevented you from being able to complete your apprenticeship within the three or four-year period, please contact Equity’s Executive Director at the national office and request that your apprenticeship to be extended.

Dues, Fees, & Eligibility

Apprentice Actor

The apprentice will need to pay a registration fee of $125 per contract of which $100 is applied to the eventual initiation fee.

Meetings of Elected Reps

During the first year of your apprenticeship, you must attend one meeting of either the local Advisory Committee or Council. It is an excellent opportunity to see first-hand how the policies of Equity are set by its members and how all members can be part of that process.

For dates and locations of future meetings, please check the most recent Equity newsletter (printed on page two of every Equity newsletter) or call the chair of the local Advisory Committee or visit the online calendar.

Help us to help you

Fill out the Beneficiary Designation form, starting with Name of Insured (that's you), and return it to Equity's national office in the reply envelope that was in your new member package.

In order to receive your newsletter and other information, you must keep your address up to date with Equity. You can register a temporary mailing address, along side your permanent address. We understand you may move often, but it just takes a phone call, or an e-mail.