The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is a Canadian
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...
representing performers in English-language media. It has 25,000 members working in film,
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
,
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...
, and all other recorded media. The organization negotiates, safeguards, and promotes the professional rights of its members. It also works to increase work opportunities for its members and lobbies for policy changes at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels.
ACTRA's regional chapters present ACTRA Awards to honour the best in Canadian radio and television performances in their local productions.
International Federation of Actors
The International Federation of Actors (french: Federation Internationale des Acteurs, FIA) is a global union federation bringing together trade unions representing actors.
History
The federation was established in 1952, on the initiative of Brit ...
.
In July 2005, ACTRA and the
United Steelworkers
The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headquar ...
announced that the two unions have entered into a strategic alliance to take on the globalization of the culture industry and to address a range of common issues.
Acronym Meaning
The earliest form of the organization represented radio performers in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
in the 1940s. This organization was called RATS: the Radio Artists of Toronto Society. In 1943, with the wider involvement of groups from other Canadian cities, the Association of Canadian Radio Artists (ACRA) was formed.
ACRA over time evolved into the Association of Canadian Radio and Television Artists, the Canadian Council of Authors and Artists, the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists, and, in 1984, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists.
Union of British Columbia Performers
Regional issues led to the creation of the Union of British Columbia Performers, a separate subunit of ACTRA for
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
only.
ACTRA Awards
Every year, ACTRA branches across the country present the ACTRA Awards, some of which are handed out for performances, while others are given for union activism and contributions to the industry.
ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society
The ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS), a member of American Fraternal Alliance, is a "not-for-profit, member-owned, federally incorporated insurance company", founded in 1959. In 2010,
Marie Charette-Poulin
Marie-Paule Charette-Poulin (born June 21, 1945) was a Canadian senator until resigning in April 2015 and was the president of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2006 to 2008. She is married to international portrait artist Bernard Poulin.
Educat ...
sat on the board of Governors of the ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society.
HAVEN Helpline
On 1 June 2019, ACTRA and the
Directors Guild of Canada
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assist ...
jointly launched HAVEN Helpline for members in Canada, with 24-7 support, out-sourced from Morneau Shepell, with additional financial support from AFBS and Telefilm Canada.
Notable members
ACTRA is composed of professional actors, models (video only), singers, stunt performers, and other television and radio performers. Notable members include:
*
Rachel McAdams
Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film '' Perfect Pie'' (20 ...
Andrea Bang
Andrea Bang is a Canadian actress and screenwriter from Burnaby, British Columbia. She is best known for playing Janet Kim in the CBC comedy '' Kim's Convenience'', for which she was nominated many times at the Canadian Screen Awards. She h ...
*
Jean Yoon
Jean Yoon (born May 4, 1962) is an American-born Canadian actress and writer of Korean descent. Yoon is best known for originating the role of family matriarch Umma in the 2011 play ''Kim's Convenience'' and in the award-winning CBC Television ...
*
Nicole Power
Nicole Penney Power (born ) is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Shannon Ross in '' Kim's Convenience'' and its spin-off series '' Strays''.
Early life and education
Power was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and grew ...
Jennifer Whalen Jennifer Whalen may refer to:
*Jennifer Whalen (actress)
Jennifer Whalen is a Canadian actress and comedian, best known as one of the creators and stars of the sketch comedy series ''Baroness von Sketch Show''.
An alumna of the Toronto company ...
William Shatner
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Ryan Gosling
Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. Prominent in independent film, he has also worked in blockbuster films of varying genres, and has accrued a worldwide box office gross of over 1.9 billion USD. He has receive ...
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy t ...
Ryan Stiles
Ryan Lee Stiles (born April 22, 1959) is an American-Canadian actor, comedian, and producer whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy. He is best known for his work on the original British series and American version of '' Wh ...
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host ...
* SAG-AFTRA – similar US organization for motion picture, television and radio actors
* Union des artistes – ACTRA's francophone equivalent
* ANDA - similar Mexican organization
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is t ...