Is a child performing during school time?
- If so, Headteacher Approval MUST be obtained and brought to the Front Desk of the Festival on arrival.
In addition, does the child attend a local authority-maintained school?
- If so, a Child Licence will also be required. The application form must be submitted to the Festival (to info@cfpa.org.uk) by March 23rd 2024.
Please read the details below to check which of these will actually apply.
Note: Child Licences and Headmaster Approvals will be checked at the Festival, and any performer without the required documentation will be turned away. The local authority will inspect the Festival for compliance.
Headmaster Approval Information
All children performing classes during school hours must have the approval of the Headteacher of their school in order to participate at the Festival.
Parents must ask their child’s headteacher to give approval for their child’s absence from school. Please ask the school to send a copy of their email reply to info@cfpa.org.uk. Parents must also bring a copy of the email, or have it available on their phone, to show at the Front Desk on arrival at the Festival.
Headmaster Approval Checklist
Headmaster Approval is required if all of the following are true:
- The performer was born on or after 1st September 2007.
- The performer attends school.
- The performance is not being organised by their school.
- Absence during the school day is required
Child Licence Information
A Child Licence application form must be completed and sent to the Festival (to info@cfpa.org.uk) for all children who perform at the Festival during the school day AND attend a local authority-maintained school or special school. A Child Licence is NOT required for children who attend academies or independent schools.
The Children and Young Persons Act 1963 states in section 37 that a child cannot take part in public performances except under the authority of a licence granted by the local authority in whose area the child resides. This applies to performances by children of 16 years or under at the Festival.
The local authority has confirmed that a licence is not needed for children who attend independent schools or academies, but will be required if the performance requires absence from a local authority-maintained school. If a licence is required, it is the parent’s responsibility to begin the licence application process set out below. Please note that all class times will be posted on this website on 1st March 2024 in order for parents to judge whether their child will need to be absent from school.
Child Licence Checklist
A child licence is required if all of the following are true:
- The performer was born on or after 1st September 2007.
- The performer attends a local authority-maintained school or a special school.
- The performance is not being organised by their school.
- Absence during the school day is required
The performance licence application is free and can be made either on-line or by post. If a licence is needed, download the Child Licence Application Form (link below) and follow the instructions and guidance (shown in red). The licence form must be completed by the child’s parent and then sent as a Word document (not a PDF) with a recent photograph of the child and a copy of the child’s birth certificate to info@cfpa.org.uk An electronic signature and photographs of the required documents will be acceptable. Applications must be completed by the parent and received by 23rd March 2024.
Click here to download the Licence Application Form (the download should appear at the foot of your screen).