The 98%’s Theory Of Change

VISION

An entertainment industry where actors are no longer left vulnerable and voiceless, but are protected from exploitation, empowered with knowledge, and supported when facing malpractice.

THE PROBLEM

Performers face a high risk of exploitation in an unregulated industry fuelled by desperation, gatekeeping, and a culture of silence. There is no formal regulatory body, and little education around legal rights, red flags, or protections, leaving creatives vulnerable to financial fraud, coercion and manipulation, unsafe working environments, harassment and abuse, and more.

Institutions often deflect responsibility and those affected are left unsupported or retraumatised, while perpetrators face no consequences and are free to continue working in the industry, and causing more harm.

A CLEAR EXAMPLE: AGENT MALPRACTICE

The power imbalance between agents and actors is stark:

Tens of thousands of unrepresented actors are desperate for representation and anyone can legally start an agency with no background checks, training, or accountability. This creates a perfect storm for abuse of power, financial fraud, gaslighting, manipulation, bullying, and more.

Agent misconduct is a core focus of The 98% CIC, while also acknowledging and addressing wider systemic malpractice in the industry.

ACTIVITIES

-Investigate and expose agent misconduct through ethical, evidence-based reporting

-Provide 1:1 support to individuals affected by industry abuse or malpractice

-Create free educational content around legal rights, red flags, and protection

-Engage in advocacy for structural reform in casting, representation, and agency spaces

OUTPUTS

-Case documentation, public reports, and campaigns

-Red flag checklists, toolkits, and digital guides

-Drop-in support groups, peer guidance, and professionally led workshops

-In-house counsellor and trauma-informed care pathway

-Partnerships with aligned organisations to amplify safeguarding

-Podcast episodes, media content, and social education campaigns

OUTCOMES

-Performers are better informed, confident, and empowered to speak up

-Survivors feel supported and less alone

-Institutions are pressured to adopt safeguarding frameworks

-Unethical agents, and others exhibiting malpractice, are held accountable

-Exploitative patterns are disrupted and harder to hide

-An alternative narrative to the one told, and manipulated, by those who seek to control it

IMPACT

A more transparent, informed, and safer industry where creatives know their rights, abusers are held to account, and predatory exploitative practices are no longer tolerated or hidden.