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Equity New Zealand is the professional membership organisation representing performers working across stage, screen, and recorded media, and stage managers and technical crew working in live theatre in Aotearoa. Equity NZ advocates for fair pay, safe working conditions, and industry best practices, ensuring the rights and welfare of performers and stage workers are protected.

Our services include collective bargaining, contract advice, professional development opportunities, and industry advocacy. We also provide access to local and international networks, resources, and member benefits designed to support and sustain careers in the performing arts. Equity New Zealand operates as a democratic non-profit organisation, funded primarily through membership subscriptions.

Subscription/Union fees
(All union fees are in New Zealand dollars and include GST.)

Union fees are based on the worker’s annual earnings from screen performance and theatre work. Income from jobs outside the performing arts do not need to be counted. The lowest rate is for performers who earn less than $15,000 per year. Young performers (under 17) pay a further reduced amount. The free student membership is for full-time performing arts students in their final year of study. There is no free student membership for all three years of study. All students’ free membership ends in the March after their course finishes. Student members are required to supply their bank details when they join Equity NZ, even though subscription debits will not occur until the following April, and after email notice of this debit.

Please note that the reduced rate for Extras reflects limited access to professional development opportunities like masterclasses and the casting hothouse. The Associate membership is for Equity supporters who will receive the annual union magazine and weekly e-bulletins to keep up to date with industry and union activity but Associate members have no other membership rights.

If you are unsure about which membership level to choose, please call 0800 334470 or (09) 360 1980 for advice.

Credit Cards
▪ Equity New Zealand accepts the following credit cards: Mastercard, Visa.
▪ All online credit card transactions are secured with SSL encryption, and no credit card details are transmitted via e-mail to the Equity office
▪ Payment is in NZD and all fees include GST.

Direct Debits
• Members can pay their union fees by direct debit from their nominated bank account, nominating the deduction schedule of their own choice
• Bank information is held securely in the same way as credit card information
• Union’s fees may be revised from time to time and if there are any changes to
the union’s fees the member will be informed by email.

Membership Refund Policy
Our Membership Refund Policy is as follows:
▪ It is a member’s responsibility to ensure that appropriate membership fees are paid to Equity New Zealand
▪ Equity New Zealand will provide a refund of membership fees up to a maximum of 12 months at the discretion of Equity director.
▪ There will be no refund for members who do not cancel their membership in
writing (e.g. who are going overseas etc).

Please make your request in writing to Equity New Zealand, PO Box 68968, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141 or by email to mail@actorsequity.org.nz

Privacy Act 2020

The information collected on this form is used by Equity New Zealand in its membership systems, and to establish your membership for the purposes of the 2000 Employment Relations Act and the 2022 Screen Industry Workers Act. Occasionally Equity New Zealand is approached to have members participate in research projects. Any research questions will always be sent to you directly from Equity New Zealand. Research is only conducted so the information will be used to advance the member goals for political, professional and industrial campaigns of Equity New Zealand. Your contact details will only ever be shared with a third party that has been endorsed by the Equity New Zealand board to run the board elections. This occurs every two years. Your contact details will not be shared with any other external parties. All other information is kept confidential within Equity New Zealand. You are entitled to have access to, and request correction of any personal information about yourself held by Equity New Zealand. If you have any queries about your rights under the Privacy Act or about the personal information held by Equity New Zealand please contact:

Equity New Zealand Director,
P O Box 68968, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141
Email: mail@actorsequity.org.nz
Phone: 0800334470

Membership rules

These are the basic rules we ask members to understand and agree to before joining.

1. I agree to be bound by and observe the rules of Equity New Zealand
2. I agree that any increase in union fees decided on by the Equity New Zealand board will be notified to me in writing by Equity New Zealand and shall constitute an authorised deduction in accordance with this authority
3. I acknowledge that Equity New Zealand has no obligation to represent me in relation to any employment/contract issues that arose prior to joining Equity New Zealand
4. I authorise the Union to represent me in relation to my collective employment interests including bargaining for a collective agreement or collective contract covering my work and I agree to be bound by the outcome of any ratification procedure conducted in accordance with Equity New Zealand’s rules
5. I authorise Equity New Zealand to represent me in relation to negotiating or enforcing any individual employment rights or in any employment investigations and to represent me under the Employment Relations Act and the Screen Industry Workers Act
6. I understand Equity New Zealand offers a range of services including expert advice in employment law. In the event there is a legal issue, I acknowledge that Equity New Zealand has a discretion as to whether and how it may represent me in any matter including commencing or continuing legal proceedings and that I have the right to complain to the Equity New Zealand board if I am dissatisfied with any such decision.
7. I agree that Equity New Zealand may at its absolute discretion delegate its authority to represent me to any other person or organisation as it decides appropriate.
8. If I wish to resign from Equity New Zealand, I will inform the union in writing to mail@actorsequity.org.nz and fee deductions will cease within seven days of the resignation being received.