Welcome Students & Parents of Students!
Information is power. Coaches and educators have power, but so must students and performers. The power to speak up, express what they need and how they feel. Both need trust and respect – power together – to achieve growth and learning. By training with a coach committed to respect based learning there is mutual understanding that personal boundaries are respected and your coach is committed to holding themselves accountable to industry best practices. We encourage you to read the guide and the code so that you are informed about what respect based training means. Also you may find our Educational Resources helpful. You can find them here.
AACE Members have committed to their ongoing sector-specific education in training actors as well as signing the Code of Conduct, which is a set of voluntary commitments developed by the AACE Steering Committee, representing performers and workers in the entertainment industry.
The Code represents a set of voluntary commitments developed by the AACE Steering Committee that foster a respectful learning culture of consent-based interactions to help prevent harassment, discrimination, bullying and violence. All AACE members sign the Code of Conduct, and are expected to develop policies and practices that uphold their commitments and their obligations under the law.
Code of Conduct for Acting Coaches and Educators
KNOW YOU'RE RIGHTS - AACE MEMBER GUIDE
If you are a performer or parent of a performer looking for an Acting Coach or Educator, the AACE Member Guide will help you to know what is okay and what is not okay. It can help you make informed choices when seeking acting classes, coaching sessions or assistance with audition self-tapes, by giving you a better understanding of what is expected of a quality educator and what are considered industry standards. Like all good resources, we hope you will refer to the guide frequently.
ACTORS WELLBEING
AACE encourages all artists and students seeking coaching or training which may include Actor Wellbeing to distinguish between your needs for artistic support and your mental health needs. Acting coaching can nurture creativity, confidence, and self-awareness, but it is not a substitute for taking care of your mental health. If you are experiencing emotional distress, trauma, or ongoing mental health concerns, we strongly encourage you to seek support from a regulated mental health professional such as a registered psychotherapist, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist. Taking care of both your art and your mental health provides the strongest foundation for sustainable creative growth.
Where can we go for more information and support?
Whether you are an Acting Coach, Educator, student in a coaching or audition environment, the AACE Member Guide is a reminder that you are not alone. If something doesn’t feel right for you, it likely doesn’t feel right for others.
The following are some resources to help.
HAVEN Helpline – Harassment reporting line available to ACTRA, EQUITY and DGC members
Got Your Back - Canadian Training Institution Policies
Got Your Back - Canadian Theatre and Union Harassment Policies & Codes of Conduct
ACTRA Toronto - Best Practices in Scenes involving Nudity, Simulated Sex and Sexual Violence
You can always reach out to us at – aacesteeringcommittee@gmail.com
AACE members have made a positive commitment to work together to educate, support each other and create a safer work environment for both students and coaches.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
AACE’s mission is to build community, provide educational opportunities and encourage adoption of a code of conduct by acting coaches and educators. Membership in AACE is voluntary and free. AACE members make a commitment to ongoing education and to upholding the AACE Code of Conduct to the best of their ability by being respectful, accountable, and honest as well as by offering a learning environment free of harassment, discrimination, bullying, and violence. AACE coaches have met all the outlined criteria for membership. Information provided by AACE on this website is for informational purposes only. AACE does not provide any professional or other services for or on behalf of its members or perform any duty owed by an AACE member to another person. AACE does not make any representations or guarantees with respect to the provision of coaching or educational services by members. AACE and its founders and partners assume no responsibility or liability for the services provided by any member coach or educator and AACE encourages actors to do their own due diligence and seek advice prior to engaging the services of any acting coach or educator.