Babies and children who live in Enfield, need a licence from us to take part in performances until they are no longer of compulsory school age. Performances include:
- films, plays, concerts or other public performances that the audience pays to see, or that take place on licensed premises
- paid sporting events
- modelling
The person responsible for the performance, such as the event organiser or the person hiring the child as a model, must apply for the licence. This can be a corporation if an appointed person signs the application. They are then legally responsible for the child and ensuring the acts and regulations are complied with.
The applicant cannot be the owner of a drama or dance school, or someone (such as an agent), who provides children for productions.
Each child needs a separate licence for each performance, unless they are covered by an exemption or a Body of Persons Approval (BOPA). It is illegal to have a child perform without the required licence, and doing so can result in fines or imprisonment.
We require a minimum of 10 working days’ notice from receipt of all correct documents for licence, exemption or BOPA applications to be processed.
Individual licences
For individual licences, the application has 2 parts. Part 1 is completed by the licence applicant, and part 2 by the child’s parent or guardian. Fully completed parts 1 and 2 of the application must submitted by email, along with:
- a copy of the child's birth certificate or passport (as proof of date of birth)
- a passport-style photograph of the child, taken within the last 6 months
- a signed copy of the applicant’s Child Protection/Safeguarding Policy, including a named point of contact for safeguarding matters (Child Protection policies are a safeguarding measure – should the applicant’s policy be deemed unfit for purpose or insufficiently robust to be used as a safeguarding tool, it will not be accepted)
- relevant risk assessments for the performance
- a letter from the child’s school giving their agreement if the child needs to miss school. This agreement must include the school stamp and be on school headed paper, or come directly from a school email address.
When considering an application, we make sure that:
- the child's health and education will not be affected
- the performance or rehearsal venue is suitable
- all licence conditions are met
- the nature of the performance is appropriate for the child to take part in
Applications must include specific times, dates and locations of the performance. We will not issue licences 'within permitted hours for the child’s age’.
Apply for an individual licence (PDF, 393.52 KB)
Exemptions
A child may not need a licence if:
- they have not performed for more than 3 days in the last 6 months
- they do not need time off from school to perform
- no payment in respect of the child is made (except for expenses)
- the performance is organised by a school
For assistance in determining whether a performance may be exempt from licencing, please contact the Education Welfare Service for advice.
If a child is exempt from licencing for a particular performance, certain conditions and restrictions will still apply. A notification of exemption (PDF, 156.7 KB) must still be submitted to the local authority where the child lives. For more information, see the Children Performances and Activities Regulations 2014 (PDF, 309.97 KB).
Body of Persons Approval
A Body of Persons Approval (BOPA), allows an organisation to have multiple children perform without individual licences. The application for a BOPA must be made to the local authority where the performance is taking place. The local authority can grant the approval even if the children taking part do not live in the borough.
A BOPA can be granted to an organisation for a performance, providing no payment is made to the child or anyone else for the performance. The child may not be absent from school for the purpose of the performance without written permission from the school.
Any organisation, whether amateur or professional, can apply for a BOPA as long as no payment is made to the child, except for expenses. However, they must meet certain criteria and show that they have strong safeguarding policies to protect children. The local authority will decide whether to grant the approval based on this information.
While BOPA allows 'suitable adults' to supervise children without needing licenced chaperones, Enfield Council prefers the use of licenced chaperones whenever possible. If an organisation does not use licenced chaperones, they must demonstrate their procedures for background and suitability checks on the adults caring for the children. This includes, explaining how they obtain DBS checks, handle any adverse information, keep copies of Enhanced DBS certificates, obtain independent references, and provide training on child protection and performance legislation.
To apply for a BOPA in Enfield, you must fill out and email us the following forms:
- BOPA application form (PDF, 212.19 KB)
- BOPA contract (PDF, 180.25 KB)
- BOPA group participants information (DOCX, 60.96 KB)
For more information see:
- The National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment
- our children in entertainment restrictions table (PDF, 364.85 KB)
- GOV.UK – Applying for a child performance licence
Licence applications, exemption notifications and BOPA applications should be emailed to ews@enfield.gov.uk.
You can also call the Education Welfare Service for advice on 020 8379 3745 (Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 5pm, Friday, from 9am to 4:45pm).