Association of Sound Designers

In December 2009, Gregg Fisher organised a series of meetings with a small group of sound designers{{Cite web |title=Sound Designer {{!}} AACT |url=https://aact.org/sound-designer |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=aact.org}} to start discussing the formation of an association for sound designers. This group of sound designers formed a steering committee and began discussing what such an organisation should do and how it might exist. The steering committee consisted of: Gareth Fry, Gareth Owen, Paul Arditti, Ian Dickinson, Carolyn Downing, John Leonard, Nela Brown, Steven Brown, Gregg Fisher, David McSeveney, and Christopher Shutt.{{Cite web |title=Association of Sound Designers |url=http://www.associationofsounddesigners.com/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Association of Sound Designers |language=en}}

In December 2010 the steering committee sent out an open letter and an invitation to a meeting at the Royal National Theatre on February 18th, 2011, attended by over 60 sound designers from across the UK. A second meeting was held at the Royal Court Theatre and a third meeting at the Royal Exchange in Manchester. From this a constitution was voted on and the first board was elected. The Association of Sound Designers was formed as a professional association, chaired by Gareth Fry.{{Cite web |date=2011-08-26 |title=PUBLIC LAUNCH OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUND DESIGNERS |url=https://www.thealpd.org.uk/news/119089/public-launch-of-the-association-of-sound-designers |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=The Association for Lighting Production and Design |language=en}}

The ASD launched at the PLASA show on the 9th September, 2011, with approximately 90 members joining. By 2016, membership had grown to 522 members. By 2024, there were over 1,000 members.{{Cite web |title=Association of Sound Designers |url=https://www.theasdp.com/page-1858700 |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Association of Sound Designers |language=en}}

On the 18th February 2016, the ASD became a registered charity, No. 1165633, operating as a CIO.

In October 2023, the membership chose to alter the organisation's name to The Association for Sound Design and Production. The membership of the association had for a long time included many members who were not sound designers, so this name was chosen to be more inclusive to the full membership.{{Cite web |title=Association of Sound Designers |url=https://www.theasdp.com/asdhistory |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Association of Sound Designers |language=en}}

The ASDP has run numerous seminars for its members, on Acoustics & System Design, Production Engineering, Music, Vocal Reinforcement & Radio Mics, Sound Creation, Software-specific courses, Computer and Audio Networking, Documentation & CAD, Techniques and Approaches, Business and Work, as well as general discussions, looking at tangential topics, and many backstage tours. Over 100 of these are available as videos online for members to watch.{{Cite web |title=Association of Sound Designers |url=https://www.theasdp.com/trainingarchive |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Association of Sound Designers |language=en}} It has also run "Winter School"s, a series of seminars run in January every few years specifically aimed at students.

They have published 19 issues of its magazine, [https://www.theasdp.com/echoarchive The Echo], and have a weekly e-newsletter. [https://www.theasdp.com/heraldarchive The Herald].

They are an advocacy voice for its members, speaking out on a range of topics, such as backstage workers being pushed to their "breaking point".{{Cite web |title=Backstage theatre workers 'pushed to breaking point due to lack of work-life balance' |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/backstage-theatre-workers-pushed-to-breaking-point-due-to-lack-of-work-life-balance |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=The Stage |language=En}} They have also worked to support the mental health of its members,{{Cite web |last=Campos |first=Guy |title=Backstage technical roles worsen mental illness |url=https://www.avinteractive.com/territories/uki/backstage-mental-health-evaluation-results-07-01-2020/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=AV Magazine |language=en}} as well as helping the theatre industry reboot itself after the Covid pandemic. They are involved in the Sunday Times National Student Drama Festival as a supporter of the Outstanding Contribution to the Technical Team Award.{{Cite news |last=Doyle |first=Louisa |title=The best of The Sunday Times National Student Drama Festival |newspaper=The Times |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article/the-best-of-the-sunday-times-national-student-drama-festival-zc8wxzh37 |access-date=2023-01-04 |issn=0140-0460}} The ASDP also provide extensive resources to support new and upcoming sound designers,{{Cite book |last=Fry |first=Gareth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XUiQDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Association+of+Sound+Designers%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT38 |title=Sound Design for the Stage |date=2019-04-08 |publisher=The Crowood Press |isbn=978-1-78500-554-1 |language=en}} and work with Theatrecraft to encourage entry into the industry,{{Cite web |title=Behind the scenes tours for young theatre job seekers |url=https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/behind-the-scenes-tours-for-young-theatre-job-seekers-66644/ |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=ianVisits |language=en-US}} as well as working hard for inclusivity in the theatre industry.{{Cite web |title=Association of Sound Designers – Member |url=https://www.stagesight.org/members/association-of-sound-designers/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Stage Sight |language=en-GB}} In 2014 they were active in pressurising the American Tony committee to reinstate the Tony Award for Sound Design, {{Cite web |date=2014-06-17 |title=UK's Association Of Sound Designers Respond To Tony's Decision |url=https://www.livedesignonline.com/theatre/uk-s-association-sound-designers-respond-to-tony-s-decision |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Live Design Online |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=ASD joins campaign to reinstate Tony Awards for sound design |url=https://www.lsionline.com/news/asd-joins-campaign-to-reinstate-tony-awards-for-sound-design-n799mo |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=www.lsionline.com}} which was reinstated in 2016.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.theasd.uk Association of Sound Designers]

Category:Professional associations based in the United Kingdom

Category:Sound production