Performers’ careers lack the security of more traditional workers. As much as we may enjoy the excitement and variety our careers provide, even the most successful singers encounter rough spots along the way. Many of us find ourselves unable to manage our finances during slow periods. Too many of these setbacks can prematurely end a performer’s career.
Resourceful performers have traditionally relied on catering and temp jobs to see them through tough times, but sometimes these jobs are not available. Eventually we all tire of carrying heavy, food-laden trays, and as we get older, we have less tolerance for the transient nature of temp work coupled with the ups and downs of performing.
What if performing artists could find dignified sideline or “parallel” careers while continuing to live our dreams? Thanks to the Actors’ Work Program, many performers have been doing just that.
The Actors’ Work Program is the training wing of The Actors’ Fund of America. Founded in 1882, The Actors’ Fund’s mission is, “to advance, foster and benefit the welfare of all professionals in the entertainment community who are in need of help, ensuring that these efforts are accomplished with compassion, confidentiality and preservation of dignity for the individuals involved.”
Since 1986, the Actors’ Work Program has striven to find dignified work for members of performing arts unions. Many motivated participants have added years to their careers by training for parallel careers that have provided sufficient income to help them keep working in the business they love. Most performers enjoy their new careers, and have successfully made the transition to rewarding, new careers through job training and education.
The Actors’ Work Program initially developed out of the need for older performers to find non-industry work. Joan Lowell, then a director of the Actors’ Fund, realized that these performers were no longer able to compete in an increasingly technical workplace environment, and asked the Actors’ Equity Council to address this issue.
The Actors’ Work Program was the result. Kathy Schrier, AWP’s managing director, has been actively involved in the program from the beginning. Thanks to her efforts, AWP has become a major force in workplace development in New York City and Los Angeles. Kathy worked with Joan to create and develop the program, bringing expertise acquired through years of experience in the public employment and training worlds.
Kathy is emphatic about the importance this program has, both for individuals and the entertainment industry as a whole.
“Both entertainment industry unions and employers benefit from the services of the Actors’ Work Program,” she says. “Our ability to help entertainment industry workers find non-industry work that allows them to stay in the business means that employers have a stable access to a quality workforce, and union participants are given needed support and guidance to pursue their careers.”
Originally conceived as a counseling program, AWP has evolved in the last two decades into an employment and training program. Skilled career counselors, many of whom also have a background in the performing arts, help artists identify transferable talents developed during their performing careers. Discipline, dependability, and communicative skills are in great demand in today’s workplace. Performers take these skills for granted, but they are a prized commodity in the work world. Skilled workers with energy and flexibility are always in demand, particularly those willing to work non-traditional hours.
Far from being a quick fix, participants are required to make a commitment of time and effort, beginning with orientation, classes and consultations with one of AWP’s counselors. These counselors specialize in helping performers identify sideline or parallel employment opportunities that use skills they already have, and advise performers on how to acquire additional skills and appropriate training.
AWP offers classes ranging from disciplines such as computer training, typing and proofreading, to Arts in Education, English as a Second language and many others. AWP participants also attend career nights, where they have the opportunity to hear from other AWP members who have been successful in sideline, parallel, or totally new careers. These evenings provide invaluable first-hand information and networking opportunities.
Visitors to AWP’s busy office find industrious performers polishing their typing and computer skills, updating resumes, checking job postings, and meeting with counselors. Training may entail a three-week workshop in typing and computer skills, or a longer commitment, such as the Arts in Education Program, where performers are trained to teach and facilitate arts programs in city schools. Many AWP-trained ESL (English as a Second Language) instructors are teaching at community colleges and agencies in the New York metropolitan area.
Singers Paula Liscio and Janie Braxton are two successful Actors’ Work Program participants. Paula was born in New York City, raised in Westchester County., and received her musical training at Indiana University. Paula has been singing for more than 30 years and is currently singing at New York City Opera. Other appearances include Radio City, Alvin Ailey, and the Met.
NYCO’s season leaves singers with about six months during which they must seek other employment.
Paula had been teaching voice privately for a number of years and wanted to develop strategies to expand her studio. AWP helped Paula develop a business plan. Paula also is interested in studying various healing modalities, and has attended seminars to further develop her skills. She is particularly interested in healing through sound, and plans to pursue opportunities in this area while she continues to sing and teach.
After her adult daughter moved to New York in 1998, Detroit-born Janie Braxton followed, and is now fulfilling her own dream of a singing career. Janie was fortunate to get singing work soon after arriving in New York, but found times between engagements to be stressful in a new city.
Janie found AWP in 2000, after being laid off from a receptionist position. Janie earned a certificate as a teaching artist, and loves helping city kids express themselves through art and drama. She has also worked at a number of long-term assignments in business environments, which allow her flexibility to audition and continue to invest in her career.
AWP is definitely not a program for dabblers, performers unable to adapt to varied environments and schedules, or those unwilling to make the time and effort needed to get the most from the program. Success stories like Paula’s and Janie’s are typical of members who have made a commitment to the program, follow through, and work proactively to achieve their goals. Not surprisingly, performers who have persevered in their performing careers often are the most successful AWP participants.
My own career was in jeopardy a few years back, when performing opportunities and “survival” jobs I had depended on for 20 years became less plentiful. Thanks to the Actors’ Work Program, and my own determination to achieve a balance in my life, I have developed a parallel career as a public speaking, writing and literacy instructor, which complements my performing and writing work. I’m grateful that I am still performing after more than two decades in the business.
It’s always been a challenge for performers to balance art and survival. Thanks to the support and business skills acquired at the Actors’ Work Program, many of us are not only proving it’s possible, but achieving it with dignity.
For further information, contact The Actors’ Work Program at 212-354-5480 (New York City) or 323-933-9244 (Los Angeles).
