The APDG Live Performance Committee are proud to announce that the Live Performance Standard Agreement is now available online for live performance designers young and old to use as your very own contract, tailored to your specific needs in your work in the live performance industries. Every designer will find something here that you will want in your next contract. Young and emerging designers especially will feel the strength of its support in negotiating with managements.
The Agreement is a contract that Live Performance designers can use in its entirety, use as a point of reference in comparison with company-issued contracts, or used selectively as a model for clauses not included in company-issued contracts, or as to replace clauses that do not adequately represent your interests. It will be of most use for designers working in the ‘standard’ pre-production model, where the design is delivered prior to rehearsals, but can be adapted for designers working on team-devised projects in development or workshop stages.
The Agreement is written in clear, inclusive language, prioritising the mutual obligations of the company and the designer. Performance outcomes are tied to a clear understanding of the design process and the need for clear channels of communication throughout the whole process.
3 years of research, drafting, consultation with designers and their agents, theatre mangements and legal advisors have gone into this amazing resource. The APDG gratefully acknowledges the generosity and invaluable advice of Arts Lawyer Stephen Boyle, Gail Pearce for document design, the whole Live Performance Committee for steering the Agreement and particularly the work of the Live Performance contract working group: Anna Tregloan, Julie Lynch and Stephen Curtis for their meticulous drafting.
The Agreement is free to use, but we ask you to send through a quick email to our APDG Administrator Caitlin to let us know when and how you are planning to use it. And when you do use it send in your feedback, so we can keep tailoring it to new conditions and needs.