Whilst you do not have to be a member of a
union to be a Supporting Artist it is worthwhile considering. Without unions,
Supporting Artists could easily be working much longer hours for less money. In
addition, a union will look after your interests, for example, in the event of a
dispute or injury.
In the UK there are two unions who look after the
Supporting Artist, the FAA (part of BECTU) and Equity. They both have agreements
on rates although these can vary according to where you work and the type of
production you are on.
www.bectu.org.uk
www.equity.org.uk