Ethics in My Practice

Reading through the handbook it asked me to consider my day to day practice and my ethical experiences each day. Having thought a little about it, I find that there are a lot of ethical considerations in our industry.

 

Favouritism-

This first came about during Drama School where it seemed like the 'favourites' got the best opportunities. Now we're taught at 'normal' school that teachers should never have favourites and that everyone should be treated equally and fairly so they can reach their full potential. Is this any different at drama school? I'm not so sure it is. The premise of training is to get to you to be the best you can be ready for the industry. So with that in mind shouldn't everyone regardless of natural talent etc. get the same opportunities to shine and do their best? 

I think favouritism is also shown in the industry too, where the same people get picked to do jobs because they're liked by the casting team or by someone in charge. Is there a difference however here to when in training? Perhaps so, as these people had to graft, and got picked because they were the best at the job. They continue to get picked because they're known to be reliable at getting the job done. I do think however that if this were always the case no one new could ever enter the industry so there is definitely a time and a place for these favourites. 

“When we overlook the errors of people we like and favour. We are crippling the society, because others look up to them and are copying from them. They will copy also their errors. One day we will be complaining why things are like this.” 
― De philosopher DJ Kyos

Body Image-

This is something I think is very important and thankfully the industry seems to be changing for the better, but I remember a time not too long ago when this was a whole other story. I know of people in drama school who were told they were to 'big' for their casting type and therefore would have to lose weight to be considered for jobs. Now on the one hand, this is what we know of our industry, it is all about the way we look, however with the awareness that we now have on mental health, is it alright to tell a young person that they are essentially too fat? We are always told we need thick skins to be in this industry and i completely agree with that, but who is the say that Cosette in Les Miserable can't be a bigger girl? Where has this stereotype come from that thin is pretty and fat is 'funny' ? I have seen the industry come on leaps and bounds in this area in the past couple of years as there are lots more people speaking out about it. I myself had an audition once where the lady said to me "you're a size 10/12 I'd assume? if you get get to a size 10 by the time rehearsals start that would be great' Why would be dropping a dress size affect my ability to do the job? She obviously thought I was talented enough so what was the issue here? I know a girl who was refused the same job because she was 'too big' and refused to lose any weight. We are taught that this is just what's expected of our industry but why should it be expected? why shouldn't we strive for better? 

Live Simply Natural. 2020. Body Positive Quotes For Better Body Image - Live Simply Natural. [online] Available at: <https://www.livesimplynatural.com/body-positive-quotes-for-better-body-image/> [Accessed 19 October 2020].

Racism-

Thankfully I have never come across this in my practice. But I am more than aware of its existence. I don't believe people intend to be racist, I think it is something that has been built into our society and become unconscious bias' towards specific things. Whilst at Drama School I know of friends who were told to 'be more black' or that they weren't being 'black enough' I have learnt from them that this upset them at the time because black isn't something they could switch on or off, it is who they were, it is their culture and heritage. Who has the right to say how 'black' someone is ? No one. I was always told that I was blessed because of the colour of my skin as it meant I was open to playing a variety of roles. I was then also told that the colour of my skin limited me to certain roles. I wonder which is correct and why I should be limited because of the colour of my skin? If it is not relevant to the plot why would it matter? This is something else that I've seen a huge improvement with over the years. As with body image should your talent not surpass the way you look? 

Pay

Whilst TV and Film is one of the wealthiest industries out there, its counterpart, theatre, is one of the poorest. We are so lucky that we do what we love as a career, but does this come with a price? There are many people who are willing to work for free because they love what they do and on the flip side of that, there are many who are willing to not pay their actors because 'it's an experience' or 'credit' for them. Some people can't afford to pay their actors well as it's a small job with a small budget and without these smaller pieces of art, our industry would not exist. However, does that make it okay? would you ever expect any other professional to work for less than minimum wage ? We hear of Lawyers taking on the ODD job for free as it is something that means a lot to them, but they also get paid very well to begin with. If something is low paid/no pay but will help better your career then I can't argue that perhaps it may be worth it. It's a no answer loop, I believe, all actors deserve to get paid for what they have worked and trained and spent THOUSANDS of pounds for. However, our industry is a difficult one and if taking a low pay job means working with a specific director or casting team etc. then is it worth it? will it boost your career to have that networking opportunity? 

That's all for now folks!

Diary of a Performer xx