Australian Writers' Guild

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AWG
Australian Writers' Guild (emblem).png
Full name Australian Writers' Guild
Founded 1961
Country Australia
Affiliation ACTU, IAWG
Key people Tim Pye, president
Office location Surry Hills, Sydney
Website www.awg.com.au

The Australian Writers' Guild (AWG) is the professional association for all performance writers, that is, writers for film, television, radio, theatre, video and new media. The AWG was established in 1962 and is recognised throughout the industry in Australia as being the voice of performance writers. The AWG is a member of both the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

The AWG gives writers an active political voice by lobbying government on such issues as copyright protection and the provision of adequate support for film and theatre funding bodies and the ABC and protecting Australian content.

The AWG is a democratic organisation run by its members, who each year elect a National Executive Council and State Branch Committees.

The Australian Writers' Guild receives assistance from the Literature Fund of the Australia Council, the State Arts Ministries in New South Wales and Western Australia, the Australian Film Commission, the Film Finance Corporation, Cinemedia, the South Australian Film Corporation, Pacific Film and Television, Screenwest and the NSW Film and Television office.

Since 1967, the AWG confers the AWGIE Awards for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing.

History[edit]

The Guild was founded in March 1962 when a group of 17 radio writers met at the Australia Hotel in Sydney and decided to form a guild to represent their professional interests. It was originally called The Australian Radio, Television and Screenwriters' Guild, and the interim committee comprised Don Houghton, Richard Lane, Ric Aspinall, Kay Keaveney and Lyle Martin.[1]

In late 1962 it registered as a Trade Union in NSW. This was seen as important because it provided recognition and support from other trade unions within the industry, notably Actors' Equity and the Musicians' Union.[1]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Gina Ronconi (2001). "A History of the Australian Writers Guild". Australian Writers' Guild. Retrieved 19 November 2011. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Writers'_Guild
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