Eligibility and Application

To access the INDIE engagement policy, the Theatre and the production must meet certain eligibility requirements and file an INDIE Application Form with Equity.

Your Business Rep must receive the completed Application Form at least 30 days before the start of rehearsals.

INDIE Application Form

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Eligibility Requirements

Both the Theatre and production must meet all of the following requirements to engage under the INDIE:

Theatre

Is a non-commercial company (i.e. functions as a not-for-profit organization and is not incorporated as commercial entity)
Able to demonstrate to Equity’s satisfaction that it cannot meet the minimum terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA) or the Independent Theatre Agreement (ITA), and has not generally operated under those terms in the past
Annual operating budget less than $55,000 a year

Production

Production budget does not exceed $80,000
Box office potential does not exceed $23,000 per week
Does not compete directly or indirectly with Engagers operating under the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) provisions of the CTA or ITA
Not produced under a co-production arrangement with another Engager operating under the terms of the CTA or ITA (though administrative support, publicity, or providing space may be allowed)

If there is any question as to whether or not a Theatre is eligible to engage under the terms of the INDIE, or a production is eligible to take place under the terms of the INDIE, please contact Equity at busrep@caea.com as soon as possible in the planning process.

Calculating Maximum Weekly Box Office Potential

Maximum Weekly Box Office Potential is calculated at the full, non-discounted ticket price for each performance, multiplied by the venue seating capacity (total number of seats), multiplied by the total number of performances in the week with the most performances.

Example: $25.00 ticket price x 100 seats x 8 performances = $20,000

GST/HST should not be included in the Maximum Weekly Box Office Potential calculation.

For a large venue, the Theatre may reduce seating capacity by roping off seats or closing a balcony, in order to reduce the box office potential to no more than the allowable threshold.

Pay What You Can Performances

For the purpose of this calculation, the ticket price for Pay What You Can (PWYC) performances is considered to be $20.00. In the case of suggested ticket pricing for PWYC performances, the average suggested price will be considered the ticket price.

Presentation Fee

If a Theatre negotiates a presentation fee, rather than receiving the box office, the threshold for maximum potential box office will still apply, and actual ticket prices will be used in order to determine the maximum Box Office Potential calculation.

Equity requires supporting documentation for ticket prices.

Application Requirements

What you'll need to complete the form

Theatre/Engager information
Production information
Name of production, rehearsal dates, performance dates
Security option — Prepayment or Bond (see Article 2)
Prepayment means all Artist fees and processing fees are paid to Equity in full in advance.
Bond means providing Equity with two weeks’ contractual fees for each Artist, plus additional fees (e.g. transportation for out-of-town Artists, per diems, etc.).
Fees — No Deferment or Deferred Fee
Deferred Fee requires reporting to Equity and a requirement to state the deferment plan on the contract.
Maximum Box Office Potential (see Article 5)
Refer to the previous section for how to calculate box office potential.
Return Transportation (see Article 13)
Declaration
The Theatre meets all of the eligibility requirements and will adhere to all of the terms of the INDIE engagement policy.

Supporting documents

The following documents must be submitted in addition to the Application Form:

List of all Artists
Complete rehearsal schedule
Copy of the proposed working terms, as agreed to by the Artists
Copy of the production budget
Engager anti-harassment/Respectful Workplace Policy
Read a template version
Deferment Plan and Schedule of Payments (if applicable)
Artists outside point of origin details (if applicable)
Touring production details (if applicable)

Note: Every Artist participating in an INDIE production is required to have an Equity contract, whether they are an Equity member or not.