Child performance licence news

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tikto
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Child performance licence news

Post by tikto »

Some news on the licensing front... makes an interesting read :)
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... and-breaks
Dwafffamily
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by Dwafffamily »

That will be great news if they bring the hours for broadcast inline with non broadcast!
emlochscams
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by emlochscams »

I just wish local authorities had the same turn around for performance licences. My ds has lost out on jobs because of this and it is really frustrating!! Good that children and parents of performing children are asked for input though
Dwafffamily
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by Dwafffamily »

I agree, the biggest change which was not even mentioned, needs to be every LA having to run by the same amount of time. Until then, kids miss out potentially on a postcode lottery and this really has got to change.
woody
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by woody »

I must admit I'm now a bit confused - so sorry if this is a daft question!! What age does a child stop needing a performance licence, and is that the same age as when they stop having to have a chaperone?

Someone told me they need a chaperone if they are under statutory school-leaving age (which used to be 16 but is now 18), but looking at the performance licence documents in the link in the above post, it mentions the ages 13-16 at one point. It seems a bit odd if they don't need a performance licence but do still have to have a chaperone...

And, what about doing a few days work experience with the production company in a theatre aged 16? Chaperone or not?

Puzzled here - can anyone help please?
napmfm
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by napmfm »

It appears that thy are seriously taking the views form the people that matter, kids, parents and chaperones and there is flexibility if it makes sense.
linda griffiths
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by linda griffiths »

do the extra hours performing mean thy can do 3 shows in a day if the time performing fits within the allowed hours?
paulears
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by paulears »

As far as I know the raising of the statutory school leaving age hasn't changed it - the age is still 16. The change to the law involves changing the focus from compulsory full time education to 'learning' - leaving the requirement to be at school until 16 the same, and adding the extra learning in the full time/part-time/volunteering section. So the school part is exactly the same - and is the bit linked to the licenses we use. There doesn't seem to be any mechanism in place to monitor the extra two years apart from in the employment/claiming benefits area, where the 16-18 year olds cannot sign on, and employers cannot employ them for more than 20 hours a week. Somebody who is supported by their parents and doesn't claim benefits or do any work and yet not go to college or 6th form may well get lost in the system.
woody
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by woody »

Thanks for that - dd is a classical dancer so we don't get embroiled in licences all that often. So - I was wrongly advised that they will now need a chaperone until they're 18?
paulears
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by paulears »

I don't think 'wrongly' advised, just that the new rules on staying in education didn't really get explained to anyone? For instance, in colleges, they always talk to parents, but if a 16 year old says to the college that they do not wish them to talk to the parents, they legally can't. Legally, up to 18, a person is a child - been that way for quite a while, so you can see that some organisations could still consider a child as somebody 17, and thus deeming a chaperone required. This is sensible, I suspect - but isn't the same thing as the chaperones required by a children's license. It's a bit of a mess really. An employer, or educational establishment has a duty of care - and this isn't age dependent, it applies to wrinkles too - so a chaperone is one way of ensuring this. However, as far as I'm aware, this person is not required to have any form of chaperoning experience, qualification or license. I read it as just a responsible person - like a teacher, or other member of the staff. The parent or guardian link still exists, but nobody expects a child who is on an apprenticeship scheme or working part-time to have a chaperone once they are 16.

Oddly, even the NSPCC seem to have little guidance for the 16-18 year group - so it's the old duty of care rules that appear to be the only absolute - how this is done could be chaperones, but doesn't have to be. The theatre I'm in at the moment do 16-18 work experience, and because I'm in Belfast, the new rules don't apply here - but they certainly wouldn't do it if they had to chaperone them!

EDIT
Got a bit sidetracked so spent a while researching the Acts of Parliament, and discovered that the Children (Performances) Regulations originally only covered up to 13 years old, then they were extended to 16. I can find no trace of them being extended upwards again - but of course, this could come later. So at the moment, the regulation that triggers all the problems we have is not the Children and Young Persons Act, but the performance regulations, which feed in to the other act that is the basis of the rules the local authorities use - so in my absolutely non-legal opinion, 16-18 is still fine, until some body body tinkers with the age in the performance Act. The current version on the Gov.uk official site still specifies 16 as when control ceases by license.
francescasmum
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Re: Child performance licence news

Post by francescasmum »

My dd did a recent theatre production and whilst we were sat in the theatre being given the safety/behaviour talk from the theatre staff the council came in to check licences, chaperones etc for 16 and under where upon the theatre informed us that they required the 16-18s to be chaperoned too - we didn't have enough chaperones to cover them as well. As this was a schools edition of Les Mis, most of the principle roles were 16 and 18 with only 3 of the cast 19, 10 small children and a handful of 13-16s. Luckily the council explained the 'law' to the theatre and they said chaperoned for 16-18 (i.e. years 12-13) didn't need to be licenced so some of the parents stayed behind to 'escort' the 'children' (that didn't go down too well with the 18 year olds) to the toilets, in the lifts, on the stairs, to and from the stage etc.
Some one did suggest that the three 19 year olds could chaperone the 16-18 year old but that nearly got us thrown out.
The funny thing was one of these 18 year old actually worked part time front of house at that theatre and had done for 2 years!
The theatre also insisted that the 'adults' had separate dressing rooms which meant one girl had a dressing room of her own whilst all her friends were on the next floor up. This in it self caused chaos as two 18 year old were sharing the roles of Mr & Mrs Thernadiar with two of the 19 year olds (on the floor below) and were also sharing costumes!
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