Children in performance

19 March 2010
The LTG (Little Theatre Guild) welcomes the announcement by the Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families with the Department for Culture Media and Sport on regulating child performances.

Our theatre members have long been concerned that the 40 year old Children in Performance Regulations are no longer fit for purpose and in need of a complete overhall. In her review Sarah Thane has correctly identified the regulatory burden upon amateur theatres  “The combination of CRB checks, future ISA registration, health and safety requirements (and sometimes Temporary Event Notices) which were described to me during the review appear to provide a range of protection at this level of performance. Continued licensing, on top of these, poses a real threat to the continued participation of children in amateur performance where volunteers have to bear the cost and weight of all the administration.”

Eddie Redfern, Chairman of the LTG, commented “We were pleased to provide evidence to the Sarah Thane review and are pleased that ministers are minded to remove the licensing requirements upon the amateur sector. We have a good history of using best practice child protection procedures  within our theatres and we look forward to further detailed dialogue in the coming months, to ensure that youngsters are not disadvantaged by theatres choosing to present plays without children in them.”

Eddie Redfern
Chairman