The federation was established in 1952, on the initiative of the
British Actors' Equity Association, and the Syndicat Français des Artistes-Inteprètes. The organisation's logo was designed by
Jean Cocteau. In 1970, the
International Federation of Variety Artists joined the organisation. For many years, the secretariat was independent of both the main international federations of trade unions, the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the
World Federation of Trade Unions, and as such, by the 1980s, it represented both unions in capitalist countries, and in communist countries. In 1997, the organisation affiliated with the
International Arts and Entertainment Alliance. ==Leadership==