Children in entertainment, modelling and paid sport

When you need a child performance licence

Event organisers need an individual licence for a child where any of the following apply:

• the child will miss school to take part
• the child is being paid
• the child has performed or will perform more than 4 times within 6 months (including performances for other organisers)
• the performance is being filmed or broadcast 

Your responsibilities if you hold a child performance licence

Licence holders must make sure all arrangements meet legal requirements. This includes arrangements for education, accommodation and travel. 

Children must also have a chaperone.

We can withdraw a licence and event organisers can be prosecuted if they do not comply with the rules. 

How to apply for a child performance licence

The person responsible for organising the performance must make the application and make sure the conditions of the licence are met. 

Applications must go to the council covering the child's home address.

For children who live in Cheshire East, download our performance licence application form (MS Word, 60KB) and send it to us.

We must get the application at least 21 working days before the first performance date.

The form includes sections for both event organiser and parents/carers. The event organiser should ask the parent/carer to fill in their section and return it to them before sending the complete document to us with the following:

• a copy of the organisation's safeguarding policy (if there is one)
• a copy of the organisation's risk assessment for the performance (if there is one)
• a copy of the child’s birth certificate (do not send the original) 
• two printed identical photos (unmounted) of the child taken during the last 6 months or an electronic photo (e.g. a jpeg file) - photos must be a full head shot taken in good light and not be altered or enhanced in any way
• a copy of the contract, draft contract or other documents (where they exist) containing details of the agreement regulating the child’s participation in the performance or activity to which the application relates.  

After you apply for a child performance licence

We will issue the licence if we are satisfied that you have appropriate arrangements in place to protect the child's health, welfare and education and that the child's school is happy with the arrangements. 

We may set conditions specific to each licence.

If we refuse the licence we will tell you why.

You can appeal to the magistrate's court if you disagree with our reasons to refuse or if you disagree with any conditions we set.

When you can get a child performance licence exemption

Event organisers can ask for a licence exemption for an individual child where all the following apply:

Exemptions can only be applied for when a show is taking place outside of the Cheshire East area and

• the child will not miss school
• the child is not being paid
• the child will not have performed on more than 4 days in 6 months (including performances for other organisers)
• the child is not being filmed 

How to apply for a child performance licence exemption

Applications must go to the council covering the child's home address.

For children who live in Cheshire East, download our performance licence exemption form (MS Word, 2.6MB) and send it to us.

We must get the application at least 21 working days before the first performance date. 

After you apply for a child performance licence exemption

We will issue an exemption letter if we are satisfied the child's involvement meets the criteria for licence exemption.  

When you can get Body of Persons Approval

When all the following apply, organisations (both professional and amateur) can apply for Body of Persons Approval (BOPA) instead of getting an individual licence for each child:

• the children are not being paid
• the children will not miss school
• the children have not performed for more than 4 days in 6 months (including performances for other organisers)
• the organisation has a safeguarding policy

If any individual child is paid, will miss school, or will perform for more than 4 days in 6 months, the organisation must get a licence for the child.

BOPA  can cover either a specific performance or all performances in a year. Where the approval covers a year, you must give us further details about each specific performance.

BOPA - event organiser responsibilities

Event organisers holding Body of Persons Approval must make sure all arrangements meet legal requirements. This includes arrangements for education, accommodation and travel. 

Children must also have a chaperone.

If you do not comply with the regulations, we can withdraw approval and you can be prosecuted.

As part of the regulations, you must record the following information and keep the records for 6 months after the end of the performance:

• performance dates
• times each child arrives and leaves the place of performance
• times that the child took part in the performance
• time of each rest and meal break
• details of any injuries or illnesses suffered by a child at the place of performance
• dates of any medical examinations we ask for
• the notification form advising us that the performance is taking place

You must also keep your Body of Persons Approval available for inspection by our team.

How to apply for BOPA and provide performance details

Applications for  BOPA must go to the council covering the address where the performance will take place - it does not matter where the children live.

To apply for  BOPA for performances taking place in Cheshire East, fill in the relevant sections of our  BOPA  application form and send to us.

Body of Persons Approval application form (MS Word, 3MB)

There are two parts to the  BOPA application - the details of each performance and numbers of children, chaperones and a signed contract

For each performance, you must provide the dates, times and locations of each rehearsal and performance and the following information about each child taking part:

• Number of children performing and which local authority area that they live
• details of the part to be played 
• name and licensing authority of the child's chaperone

If you are applying for  BOPA for a single performance you must give this information with the application.