Johannesburg- Legendary actor and activist Jack Devnarain has urged artists to understand arts politics to stop the alleged continuous artists’ exploitation in the entertainment industry.
The former Isidingo actor said their fight against the art department is to protect artists from greedy producers and broadcasters who prioritize profit over artists.
He said the acting space is flooded by freelance actors so they can participate in different gigs at once, but they are paid peanuts in exchange for their talent.
“The entertainment space is one of the ignored and unregulated industries in South Africa and we need to stand together to seek legal protection from being just an object that’s drained of talent and left to go look for something else,” he said.
“This industry is dominated by freelancers because that is exactly how it functions, we cannot then be treated like other industries where freelancers are restricted access to certain benefits such as sick leave, family responsibility leave, and more.”
Devnarain said in the two decades he has been an actor, he has been unfairly treated due to the inability to contest any contract.
“You are given a contract and you either sign it or not.
“This industry needs regulation and protection that is aligned with the constitution. We need to be protected and it all starts with understanding politics, we are not only doing this for us but also the future generation,” he added.
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