When do children need a performance licence?

The law applies to all children from birth until completion of compulsory schooling (last Friday in June in Year 11).
A child must be licensed if one or more of the following applies:

• he/she performs for more than four days in any six month period
• absence from school is required
• payment is received for the child's involvement in the activity/performance.

Licences may be required for children as follows:

• Children employed in paid modelling work (e.g. photographic or catwalk work)
• Children working in paid/professional sport
• Children in Entertainment - performing on stage or in television, film, commercial, etc.
• Children aged 12 and under may be licensed to act, if the applicant signs a certificate to say that the part s/he is to act cannot be taken except by a child of that age. They may also be licensed to take part in an opera or ballet (including all forms of dance) or musical production provided that no other type of entertainment forms part of the same production and the applicant signs a certificate as above.

Exemptions

There are certain situations where children are exempt from these requirements.

• Performances arranged by schools (ordinary schools, not dance schools) do not need to be licensed.

A Body of Persons (youth organisations, amateur dramatics, etc) may be given permission by the Secretary of State or by the Local Authority to waive the need for a licence, but permission must be given in advance, and conditions may be laid down.