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Variety Contracts – terms of engagement – Act as Known
The issue of free speech and expression with the performing arts.
Comedian Konstantin Kisin has pulled out of a sponsored charity show organised by SOAS, University of London having declined a contract sent to him stating the terms required as, non-tolerance policy regarding any humour that would be racist, sexist, ageist, classist, ablest, homophobic, biphobia, transphobic, xenophobic, islamophobia or anti-religion or atheist. Student leaders say that the event must be a ‘safe space’ for joy love and acceptance.
On the 14th December 2018 a national newspaper ran a full page with Mr Kisin’s response views and comments. His salient points; his posted contract contained ‘behavioural points’ listed above. ‘All material had to be respectful and kind’ his act was judged by a student in a previous audience who inspired the contract to him. I do find one thing odd that this University did not demand clean stage language!
Artistes United
Persons who know me and this popular website appreciate that I am of the ‘old Variety’ that was in fact strictly vetted and all performers were strictly vetted before any engagement. Even the length of ones act was put into the contract like ‘your time is eight minutes’ and any deviation longer would be frowned upon. Leading bookable acts would be represented by leading agencies (lesser known acts by lesser agencies but all was quite sound) and the venue bookers would take the word of the agencies, if the act was not known – that the act was to be as expected from supplied photographs. There were no videos in those days. The content of the acts were also scrutinised for costuming and, for comedians, strict patter conduct was needed so that good language was used on stage along with the non-permission of very bad taste gags. This also applied to the film industry until after 1960 and of course television. It does seem now that anything goes as far as taste is concerned. So, personally I do favour the old days of total respect for the audience and the bookers that was the joy of the old system. Behaviour patterns also mattered off stage in a theatre and the stage manager would take care of that. As a child I never witnessed any bad behaviour in any theatre and was allowed on stage (by the stage manager) to see parts of the show from the wings seated on a chair from about mid-week if he were asked nicely. It does seem now that dignity respect and stage culture both on and off the stage is past. Even pantomimes and circus are suspect regarding bad taste humour content. Television is now at a low taste level and does no service to the older generation who constantly complain or the youth and children who need quality inspiration. Television and shows should return to great scripting language and art. The main point of the old system contract was, Act as Known!
In respect to Mr Kisin’s complaint, clearly he did not have the traditional agency to represent his services when the proper route would be for the hirer to approach the agent with the said list of comment needs (above) and for the agent to recommend artistes to suit if available. In which case Mr Kisin would be spared ether an approach or a chance to decline (likewise any other artiste). The problem here was, Mr Kisin was approached by one single student who made the suggestion of an engagement then followed through by the organising committee of the event. Mr Kisin seems to take the issue personally but it is not a personal issue it is a policy issue by the University.
This website reflects my views and I am, of course, totally in favour of free democratic speech provided it is courteous fair and can be fairly challenged without bias. The same applies to an act or artiste, he has every right to rehears an act – content – as he pleases, that is freedom, but he has ‘no right’ to inflict the content on the public without a response, therefore there must be a balance and the old system dictated a strong balance and pre-approval by very strong rules.
I say that this event had every right to demand whatever rules it wishes within the law provided the invited audience welcome the rules or they could ignore the event and it would be a failure. Perhaps it is a great challenge to present a comedy act that has all the above restrictions. The danger to freedom is, as Mr Kisin points out for the reason he left his homeland in his lengthy press page, when the government restricts free speech or expression – the state. A University is not the state unless they are governed by the state but then political parties govern the state and only seem to recruit members from Universities, ever decreasing circles.