MEMBERSHIP

Categories of Membership

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, persons admitted to membership of SONTA can be registered as members of the profession in the category of:

(a) Fellows; or
(b) Life members; or
(c) Members; or
(d) Associates; or
(e) Students; or
(f) Affiliate/honorary members; or
(g) Corporate members.

(2) A person admitted as a member of SONTA shall be entitled to be registered as

(a) a fellow if:
(i) (s)he is at least thirty-five years of age, a trained performing artists and has had not less than fifteen years relevant professional working experience, at least five of which must have been in positions of managerial responsibility;
(ii) his/her professional activities and achievements justify his acceptance as an authority in the profession;
(iii) (s)he is otherwise considered by the Council to be a fit and proper person to be so recognised;
(iv) his/her application in that behalf is sponsored in writing and in such manner as the Council may, from time to time, prescribe by two fellows;

(b) a Life member if:
(i) his/her professional activities and achievements justify his acceptance as an authority in the profession;
(ii) s(he) is otherwise not domiciled in Nigeria but supportive of SONTA and its programmes.
(iii) (s)he is otherwise considered by the Council to be a fit and proper person to be so recognised;
(iv) his/her application in that behalf is sponsored in writing and in such manner as the Council may, from time to time, prescribe by two fellows;

(c) a member if :
(i) (s)he is at least twenty-five years of age and has had not less than five years relevant professional
working experience and he is the holder of a certificate from any institution recognized by the Council;
(ii) (s)he is otherwise considered by the Council to be a fit and proper person to be so registered;
(iii) his/her application in that behalf is sponsored in such manner as the council may, from time to time, prescribe by two full members or by one fellow
(iv) provided that the Council shall have power, from time to time, in its discretion to waive the requirement of age specified in sub-paragraph (i) of this paragraph;

(d ) an associate if:
(i) (s)he is at least twenty years of age and has had not less than two years relevant professional working experience, and he is the holder of a certificate from any institution recognized by the Council;
(ii) (s)he is otherwise considered by the Council to be a fit and proper person to be so registered;

(e) a student if: (s)he is undergoing a course of study in Theatre Arts in any of the  institutions recognised for that purpose by the Council; and

(f) an affiliate/honorary member if:
i.    (s)he is a person having an interest in Theatre Arts,
ii.    has been so admitted as such by a resolution of the Council or
iii.    (s)he practices Theatre Arts but lacks requisite qualification to back it.

(g) a corporate member if it is an establishment that has as its primary duty the teaching or research in the Theatre Arts or has in its employment not less than seven performing artists who earn their living through such performances.

(3) The designatory letters of the:
(a)  Fellow of the Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists shall be “FSONTA”
(b) Life Member/ Member of the Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists shall be “MSONTA”;
(c ) Associate of the Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists shall be “ASONTA”
(d) Affiliate/Honorary Member of the Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists shall be “SONTA”