ACTRA National

Marsha Knight, Chair of the inaugural National Indigenous Committee proudly invites Indigenous ACTRA members to attend our first meeting on Friday, June 19 (3-4:30pm PT | 4-5:30pm MT | 5-6:30pm CT | 6-7:30pm ET | 7-8:30pm ADT | 7:30-9pm GMT-2:30).

At the meeting, we will discuss issues that are important to our community as it relates to being performers.

Please register to attend the meeting at the link in bio.

After yesterday’s Bill C-11 streamer shock, another federal announcement wasn’t on our wishlist – but here we are. Today it was Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon’s turn, unveiling “AI for All” – Canada’s new national AI strategy.

ACTRA members know AI is one of the biggest challenges we face. So, does this strategy tackle the issues performers need addressed? The answer: possibly, maybe, a little… but with huge gaps that ignore our members’ working reality.

The (sort of) good: A $50 million Creative Technology Program, with the explicit framing that it will "support Canadian creators in using AI on their own terms." In theory, positive, but details are thin including their definition of “creative.”

The (definitely) bad: Not a single mention of copyright, anywhere. Performers’ rights? Nowhere. Even deepfake references do not relate to our industry directly. Commercial voice and likeness replication for performers? Missing. And "creators"? That word is used throughout to frame tech and innovation builders, not performing artists.

As with most new government initiatives, especially around mammoth issues like AI, expect additions, updates, and as we saw yesterday… deletions. “AI for all” is a good catchphrase but our precarious jobs do NOT fit into a one-size-fits-all solution. What we do know is that ACTRA must target our policy and lobbying to demand that this strategy expands to include the critical protections required to save the thousands of jobs in our sector.

While we will have to “wait and see” where the government goes next, we will not be hesitating on continued, robust political action on AI.

Review the new strategy via link in bio and tell us what you think about "AI for All"

Yesterday was one of those tough days when it comes to government relations. But long before the feds were giving billionaire streamers a free pass, we REWIND to 1989, and Art Hindle speaking with CBC reporter Suzanne Knight during an ACTRA lobbying event.

ACTRA performers have always looked out for one another - standing together, raising our voices, and advocating for change, from our communities to Parliament Hill.

For generations, ACTRA has fought to protect the rights of Canadian performers, helping build the strong national union we know today.

Shocking news from Ottawa today as the federal government lets foreign billionaire streaming giants off the hook when it comes to contributing to Canadian culture!

Instead of obligating these wildly wealthy media conglomerates to modestly invest in the country where they make massive profits, the government announced that a $600 Million Dollar government fund will replace that. And who will pay for that? The Canadian taxpayer - whether they have a streaming subscription or not.

It's no secret that the American administration wanted this gone... and now it is. Makes you wonder just who is pulling the strings on Canadian cultural sovereignty.

Doesn't feel very "elbows up" does it?

Read ACTRA's statement and comments from ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble via link in bio.

ACTRA is thrilled to announce that our amazing partnership with The Banff World Media Festival will see this year's fest kick-off with an all-star panel of ACTRA performers holding candid conversations about growing and sustaining a star system for the Canadian domestic audience.

“Canadian performers are so tired of having to leave our country and make it big elsewhere before becoming household names in Canada,” ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble tells Playback, “ACTRA’s ongoing efforts to change this long-standing issue is a big reason why we are thrilled to partner with the Banff World Media Festival and the Rockie Awards in such a collaborative way.”

ACTRA members Kim Coates, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Anna Lambe, Jason Priestley and Supinder Wraich will be a part of this important conversation which will be moderated by fellow member George Stroumboulopoulos.

For more information on the panel which ACTRA is co-partnering with .fmc / visit the link in bio to Playback Magazine (sub)

ACTRA is thrilled to announce that our amazing partnership with The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) will see this year's fest kick-off with an all-star panel of ACTRA performers holding candid conversations about growing and sustaining a star system for the domestic audience.

“Canadian performers are so tired of having to leave our country and make it big elsewhere before becoming household names in Canada,” ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble tells Playback, “ACTRA’s ongoing efforts to change this long-standing issue is a big reason why we are thrilled to partner with the Banff World Media Festival and the Rockie Awards in such a collaborative way.”

ACTRA members Kim Coates, Ksenia Danilea Kharlamova, Anna Lambe, Jason Priestly and Supinder Wraich will be a part of this important conversation which will be moderated by fellow member George Stroumboulopoulos.

For more information on the panel which ACTRA is co-partnering with .fmc / visit the link in bio to Playback Magazine (sub)

The Canadian Screen Awards was a night to celebrate the finest achievements in our nation's amazing film and television industry. It was also a stellar night to be ACTRA as our members ended the night with handfuls of awards and nominations.

Team ACTRA, led by our National President Eleanor Noble was on hand to meet and congratulate our incredible members and share in a night of pride on the world class performances coming out of our country right now.

Credit to for implementing rule changes that saw the awards evolve into a truly Canadian event and in our opinion, made for the best CSA's ever! So far at least!

We congratulate all of our members who were nominees and recipients of 2026 Canadian Screen Awards.

Pride wasn’t born from comfort - it was born from resistance.

“Pride Was a Riot” is not a slogan, it is a reminder that the rights and visibility the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has rightfully gained, was fought for by q***r and trans people who refused to stay silent in the face of hatred and discrimination. Make no mistake, this fight is not over, and we also recognize those who continue striving for true equality - now and into the future.

As Pride Season begins, ACTRA honours that past, present and future and stands with every member of the community. Loudly, proudly, and unapologetically.

Pride is celebration, but it is also protest, remembrance and a rallying cry. The rights so bravely fought for must be protected with vigilance every day.

We got the ACTRA band together at the SCAPR (Societies' Council for the Collective Management of Performers' Rights) 51st General Assembly!

As SCAPR’s main decision-making body, the General Assembly is where key decisions are taken to shape future activities and priorities as well as guiding international performers' collection management organizations such as ACTRA RACS.

Being a key part of the global community strengthens ACTRA and ACTRA RACS as we constantly strive to maximize the collection and distribution of royalties to recording artists and performers.

Pictured (L-R): Marie Kelly, ACTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator; Kortnee Borden, Director, ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society; and Anna Bucci, ACTRA Senior Director, Operations.

“When people are casting and you have that little asterisk next to your name that you’re a CSA nominee, that does something,” ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble tells when asked about the new Canadian Screen Awards rules for 2026.

ACTRA made our feelings known to after last year's awards that raised controversy due to non-Canadians winning three of the four major performance awards, and credit is due... they listened. This year's awards should recognize Canadian performers in a much more significant way.

ACTRA National continues our longtime sponsorship of the CSA's and looks forward to watching Canadian performers getting their much-deserved plaudits at the awards this coming weekend. In Eleanor's words: “We should be able to have a name here in our very own country.”

To read more in Playback on the new CSA rules and categories, visit the link in bio. (Subscription)