Pact Council 101: Help Guide Pact’s Work

Our work is driven by the representative body which sits at the centre of our organisation, Pact Council. But what do Council members actually do and who can stand?

This Autumn, Pact members will have the opportunity to elect new representatives to Pact Council, as we hold the next election in our biennial cycle. Those interested and eligible (see more below) have the opportunity to stand for Council and, if elected, help shape the work of our organisation.

Read on for information about what Council does and how you can get involved.
 

What Does
Pact Council Do?

Council does everything from approving operational budgets and financial plans to debating and agreeing all Pact policies, campaigns, and terms of trade and collective agreement negotiations.  

The collective intellectual and commercial muscle of Council helps to ensure that Pact remains a highly effective trade body acting on behalf of the independent production sector.


Who is on
Pact Council?

Council is made up of Pact members from across the sector and around the UK. The current Chair is Jane Muirhead, Managing Director of Raise the Roof Productions, and the Vice Chair is Alex Jones, Joint MD of Red Planet Pictures. The current group of Council members was elected in December 2022. 

It is vital that Council is representative of the entire sector. It’s not just for those from large production companies or ‘super indies’, it includes members from small and medium-sized businesses and from across the UK’s nations and regions, including Nations Representatives for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Find out more about the current Council members.

 
Your Chance
To Stand

This Autumn, eligible members have the chance to stand as a candidate to join Pact Council. There will be an election and the new Council will be announced at our AGM in December.  
   
All members elected or co-opted to Pact Council serve for a period of two years and become full legal directors of the company.

Only Full members* (that is, Full Producer and Film members) are eligible to put forward a candidate (who must be employed by them) to stand for Pact Council, and only Full members are able to vote in the election, too.

The nominations window will open on Wednesday 2nd October and close on Wednesday 30th October. The voting window will open on Wednesday 6th November and close on Wednesday 4th December. The results of the election will be announced on the morning of Wednesday 11th December at the Pact Annual General Meeting 2024.


Why Stand 
For Council?

Being a part of Council is a great opportunity to give something back to the industry as well as develop your own understanding of the key issues impacting it. 

It is the mix of skills and experience of Council members that gives our organisation its strength, and that depends on a diversity of voices. We welcome nominations from any eligible individuals who feel that they have the relevant level of experience and can positively contribute to the work we do.  

If you have any queries about Pact Council and the upcoming election, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

*Full members are either Full Producer members paying a fee of £525pa or more, or Film members paying a fee of £500pa. Companies that hold Affiliate, Facilitator, Broadcaster** and Film Facilitator membership are not eligible to be Full members and therefore cannot put forward a candidate for election and are not eligible to vote. Affiliate members do have the option to upgrade to the full Producer category (for an increased fee) if they would like to nominate, stand and/or vote in the election.  

**A Broadcaster member is a company that is a UK Public Service Broadcaster, or is majority owned by one.

If you are unsure about what type of membership your company has, please get in touch.