Background
AACE UK is collaborating with the Actor Wellbeing Facilitators Collective (AWFC) to bring tailored well-being workshops and lectures to AACE members. Additionally, we aim to foster the exchange of educational resources between the UK, Ireland, Canada, and other future AACE chapters worldwide.
In the UK, many acting tutors, coaches, and educators are freelancers, lacking support for their ongoing education in a rapidly evolving training and industry landscape.
After #MeToo many brave students and former students in Canada came forward to shine a light on problems in education, coaching and self-tape environments, in 2018 Got Your Back (GYB) created a National Acting Training Survey with over 500 students’ responses. A strong recommendation from the survey was to establish an association to provide oversight, guidance, community, and educational resources for Acting Coaches and Educators in Canada.
AACE was formed in 2021 with the support of concerned industry partners, knowledgeable and dedicated educators, grassroots community groups, and students. A working group was built with representatives from ACTRA Toronto, Canadian Actors Equity Association, The Casting Directors Society of Canada, Got Your Back, Entertainment Industry Coalition, Talent Agents & Managers Association of Canada, various schools/studios, and educators. Together they created;
an industry Code of Conduct – which is a set of voluntary commitments all AACE members sign, and are responsible for upholding.
an AACE Member guide that supports the code of conduct
an application and vetting process.
The creation of AACE has helped bring oversight and best practices to the sector for students and parents, but it has also created a much-needed community where coaches and educators can learn, share, and grow together.