Leaving Equity: Your Guide

What is Equity and why members choose to leave

Equity is the UK's trade union for professional performers and creative practitioners, representing over 47,000 members across the entertainment, creative and live performance industries. Founded in 1930, it's one of Britain's longest-established unions, covering actors, singers, dancers, stage managers, directors, choreographers, designers, circus artists and variety performers. Most importantly, Equity negotiates minimum rates and conditions with employers, provides legal advice, campaigns for members' rights, and offers professional development opportunities.

Here's what you need to understand about Equity membership: it operates differently from typical subscription services. You're joining a trade union with legal protections under UK employment law, which means the cancellation process follows specific regulations. Additionally, your membership category determines your rights, benefits and crucially, your notice requirements when leaving.

Members typically decide to leave Equity for several practical reasons. Career changes are the most common - perhaps you've transitioned from performing into teaching, production or an entirely different industry. Retirement naturally leads many long-standing members to cancel their subscriptions. Financial pressures matter too, especially for those working freelance or between contracts who find the annual fees challenging during quiet periods. Some members discover they're not using the benefits enough to justify the cost, particularly if they're working primarily in non-union environments or have secured stable employment with their own legal representation.

Keep in mind that geographical relocation can also trigger cancellations. Members moving abroad may find international union membership more relevant, though Equity does have reciprocal agreements with unions in other countries. Finally, some members leave temporarily during career breaks, planning to rejoin when they return to active work in the industry.

Membership categories, benefits and subscription costs

Understanding your membership type is absolutely essential before you start the cancellation process, because different categories have different notice requirements and financial implications. Let me break down what you're actually paying for and what it gets you.

Membership tiers and pricing structure

Equity operates several membership categories based on your career stage and circumstances. Full membership typically costs between £156 and £234 annually, depending on your earnings from work covered by Equity agreements. This sliding scale means higher earners pay more, which is standard union practice. The fees are calculated based on your previous year's relevant earnings, so you'll need to declare this honestly when you joined.

Student membership is significantly cheaper at just £15 annually, designed for those training at accredited drama schools, dance colleges or university performing arts programmes. Retired and unemployed members both pay a reduced rate of £48, though unemployed membership is intended as temporary support during career gaps, not a permanent category.

What your subscription actually covers

First and foremost, Equity membership gives you access to collectively bargained minimum rates across theatre, television, film, radio and commercial work. These agreements set floors for fees, working conditions, overtime rates and residual payments. Without union membership, you're negotiating entirely on your own, which puts you at a significant disadvantage, especially early in your career.

Additionally, members receive comprehensive legal and professional advice through Equity's dedicated helpline and advice services. This covers contract reviews, disputes with employers or agents, health and safety concerns, and employment rights issues. The value of this alone can exceed your annual subscription if you face a serious workplace problem. Members also get public liability insurance up to £10 million, which is increasingly required by venues and production companies.

Next, there's the advocacy work. Equity campaigns on industry-wide issues like fair pay, diversity, safety standards and working conditions. Your membership funds this collective bargaining power. The union also provides professional development through workshops, seminars and networking events, plus discounts on insurance, financial services and various industry-related products.

Keep in mind that some benefits continue for a period after you cancel, while others stop immediately. This timing matters when you're planning your departure, which we'll cover in detail later.

Understanding Equity's cancellation policy and legal framework

This is where many members get confused or make costly mistakes, so pay close attention. Equity operates under UK trade union law, which means different rules apply compared to standard consumer subscriptions. Most importantly, you cannot simply stop paying and consider yourself cancelled - that creates debt and potential legal complications.

Notice periods and timing requirements

Equity requires written notice to terminate membership, and this is legally binding under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992. The standard notice period is typically one month, but here's the critical detail most members miss: your notice must align with your membership renewal date to avoid paying for an additional year.

Let me explain with a real-world example. If your membership renews on 1st April and you send cancellation notice on 15th March, you're fine - you'll leave on 31st March. However, if you send that same notice on 15th April, you've already renewed for another year, and depending on Equity's specific terms at that time, you may be liable for the full annual subscription even if you want to leave immediately.

Additionally, Equity's rules state that membership subscriptions are generally non-refundable once paid. This isn't them being difficult - it's standard union practice because your fees fund ongoing collective services and agreements. You can't retroactively \