Children performing without a licence could be breaking the law and the production company can be at risk of prosecution.
When a licence is needed
A child performance licence is needed for children from birth to the end of compulsory school age (end of year 11). The Local Authority where the child lives will issue the licence.
You will need a licence for a performance if it is:
- charged for - whether that charge is for admission or in payment to the child or another person
- taking place on licensed premises (e.g. a theatre, public house or a hotel)
- paid sport or photographic or stills modelling
- for a child performing more than 4 days in any 6-month period (over one or more performances)
- necessary for the child to be absent from school
When a licence is not needed
You will not need a licence for:
- a child performing up to 4 days over 6 months, as long as no time is taken off from school, and no payment is made to the child or any other person
- school performances
- a performance produced by an organisation which has a Body of Persons Approval (BOPA), as long as no time is taken off from school, and no payment is made to the child or any other person
- activities we don’t consider to be a performance, such as, children being filmed carrying out normal day to day activities, eg. playing in the park, participating in ordinary lessons
Note: you may still need written consent from parents to film, even if a child performance licence is not needed.
'Open licences' (licences that are issued without all the information complete) are not available. An application needs to be completed for each performance or activity, with all the required information, for it to be legal.
Register children who do not need a licence to perform
For performances where you don't need a licence, we will still need you to register the children taking part in the performance.
Post your completed form to the Child Performance and Employment Team.
Performing abroad
Children performing abroad will also need a licence but these are not issued by us. Applicants will need to contact the magistrates’ court nearest to where they live. See a list of Magistrates’ courts in Leicester.