Equity was created in 1930 by a group of
West End performers, including
Godfrey Tearle,
May Whitty and
Ben Webster. They were advised by
Robert Young, the "Actors' MP". Like many other British trade unions, Equity operated a
closed shop policy, so it was not possible for someone to join unless they had a record of sufficient paid work and most jobs were reserved for Equity card holders. To allow new members to join, there were a limited number of non-card-holding jobs on regional productions. While working on these productions, actors held a provisional membership card, and could apply for full membership upon completing the requisite number of weeks, subsequently allowing them to work in the West End or on film and television. As a result of reforms of trade unions by
Margaret Thatcher's
Conservative government and the introduction of European legislation, closed-shop unions became illegal in the UK and Equity discontinued their closed-shop policy in the 1980s. However, to join Equity in the present day, evidence of sufficient paid professional work must still be provided. In 1976, Equity introduced a policy of refusing to sell programmes to the
SABC, an action that led to a virtual ban of British television in
apartheid-era South Africa, which was not lifted until 1993. The
Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by Equity on
Broadway in the US and Equity UK in London's West End. In regard to the
2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Equity released a statement: 'Equity stands full square behind our sister union.' ==Presidents==