We are so happy you’ve landed on our site and that you want to know more about what we do to protect and advocate for the rights of voice actors in Canada. The announcement of our official launch (December 4, 2024) at the NAVA Gala in Los Angeles was preceded by a flurry of activity from CAVA’s board members; building our website (welcome!), creating content and logos, meeting with representatives of both NAVA and ACTRA, and now - we’re officially here.
How Did We Get Here?
CAVA, the Canadian Association of Voice Actors (Association canadienne des artistes en voix hors champ) was modeled after the American version of a similar association, NAVA (National Association of Voice Actors) which is spearheaded by founders Tim Friedlander and Carin Gilfry, both American voice actors. Other similar organizations include Australia’s AAVA, with Simon Kennedy as President, and OVU in Latam (Latin America), headed up by Daniel Soler.
The protection of voice actor rights (including fair rates) has traditionally been carried out by actor unions (i.e. SAG/AFTRA, ACTRA, MEEA, UDA in Québec, etc.). In fact, one of the major points of the SAG/AFTRA strike of 2023 involved negotiations over the use of AI in the entertainment industry. But the recent move to create further independent organizations to protect voice actors’ rights has come in response to growing concerns in this regard. Namely, the rapid advancements in AI voice technology and the greater vulnerability of AI voice generation and image manipulation, among others.
The Bev Standing Connection
NAVA has a unique Canadian connection in Bev Standing. Bev is an Ontario-based voice actor who woke up one morning to a nasty surprise. She discovered that her voice had been used - without her knowledge or consent - as the original AI text to speech voice for the mega social media platform known as TikTok. Years earlier, Bev had recorded ten hours of audio for a client in Ireland for a translation app from Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese to English. Those files were then obtained by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. TikTokers loved her AI-manipulated voice and used it indiscriminately for all kinds of videos - without her consent or further compensation paid to her. Even US-based ad agencies used the new TikTok AI voice in some of their advertisements, reaching millions of users across the globe - all without additional compensation paid to Bev for such use.
The online voiceover community rallied around Bev and created a Go Fund Me campaign to help offset expenses related to her court battle. The support was incredible however since her battle was settled out of court, Bev chose to donate the funds raised to the Brad Venable Foundation. That money was used in turn by Tim and Carin to help launch NAVA.
When CAVA came together, it seemed only right to include Bev in this very important initiative. Bev looks forward to sharing her experience and support with Canada’s voice actors as one of CAVA’s esteemed board members.
Moving the Needle for Impactful Change
In the USA, NAVA has met with over 17 senate and representatives’ offices on Capitol Hill to advocate for protection of the actual voices of all Americans. They’ve also worked hard in the state of California with their efforts directly impacting related legislation. In Canada, ACTRA has been at the forefront of pushing for legislative change toward similar goals. One of CAVA’s intentions is to join ACTRA in their efforts to protect the sustainability of the Canadian voiceover industry.
As a Canadian non-profit organization, our mission is to educate, support, and advocate for the sustainability and advancement of Canada’s voiceover industry through action, inclusion, and benefits. We do this on behalf of the industry as a whole, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, disability, union status or professional representation.
CAVA board members have met with the National President of ACTRA and the National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator for ACTRA. Happily, we have found alignment on many goals and each organization looks forward to supporting the efforts of the other.
Explore the Website, Join the Movement
CAVA is an association for Canadian voice actors. Protecting the health and vitality of our industry is a worthwhile endeavor. To that end, we invite you to explore this website and to join us by becoming a member of CAVA. We offer numerous benefits, including education (free monthly classes), support, discounts, advice on handling contracts, and more.
We are here for you.
Content written by Kim Handysides, CAVA board member
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