Young performers licensing guide

Working hour limits and breaks

This relates to working hour limits. 

Minimum overnight breaks 

The minimum required overnight break for all children is 12 hours (Regulation 22). However, in most cases children should have an overnight break of at least 14 hours. 

Licensing authorities should consider the time a child needs to travel between their home or temporary accommodation and the place of performance or rehearsal. They should consider whether conditions need to be attached to the licence to make sure the child gets an appropriate overnight break. 

Limits on daily performances 

A child may take part in more than one performance or rehearsal within a single 24-hour period only if both of the following apply: 

• the performances or rehearsals are of the same nature 

• the child performs the same part, or is a standby in the same production 

This prevents children from taking part in multiple unrelated performances in one day. All activity must still fall within the daily working hour limits (Regulations 19 to 21). 

Employment 

A child taking part in either a licensed or unlicensed performance must not be employed in any other work on the day of the performance or the following day (Regulation 24). 

Travel arrangements 

Licence holders must make sure that travel arrangements to and from performances, rehearsals or activities are safe and suitable. The licencing authority must be satisfied that the arrangements are appropriate for the child's age and maturity. 

Children must not travel unsupervised. They must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, chaperone, or another suitable adult (Regulation 17). Where journey times are long or frequent travel is required, the licencing authority should consider whether overnight accommodation would be more appropriate, taking the child's views into account.