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| What is the SMA? |
| The Stage Management Association was founded in 1954 by a group of West End Stage Managers intent on putting pressure on Equity to negotiate dedicated stage management contracts with producers. By the following meeting the numbers had swelled to over 30 and WESMA (West End Stage Management Association) was born.
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| About SMA |
WESMA succeeded in its purpose and within 2 years there was a specific 'Stage Management Contract'. It was the beginning of a relationship between the association and the union which continues to this day - not without its ups and downs, then as now.
The SMA is not, and has never been, a union. The legal status of a union is quite different. An association, such as the SMA, is simply formed by those in a given field, whether union members or not, who seek support and representation in numbers where it cannot be achieved by individuals. Associations exist in many fields, see for example the General Medical Council, or the Association of Bakers!
The SMA, as it became in 1971, currently has over 700 members and is still growing. It has 3 part-time staff, and offers a wide range of different services in seeking to fulfil its mission. |
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| In 1999, the SMA became a company limited by guarantee, governed by a document called Memorandum and Articles of Association which sets out the purpose of the SMA and the rules by which it is run. The governing body is the Board of Directors, which at the SMA comprises 12 Directors and up to two co-opted Directors, elected from and by the membership, of which a third retire each year. |
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The SMA is funded only by membership subscriptions and sales of its publications; this means it is poor, but on the other hand not beholden to anybody but its members!
A Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) Registration No 3819176 |
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