7. Licensing and Insurance

It is the Promoter's responsibility to ensure that the venue is appropriately licensed and insured for the event and this is a requirement within our contract with you.

You will need to obtain proof of licences and insurance from the venue manager e.g. the Hall Committee. This is important if alcohol will be sold at the event.

A summary of the Entertainment Licensing regulations can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/entertainment-licensing-changes-under-the-live-music-act

A summary of the Alcohol Licensing regulations can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/alcohol-licensing

Whether a licence is needed for entertainment will depend on the circumstances. A licence is not required to stage a performance of live music, or the playing of recorded music, a performance of a play or a performance of dance if: • it takes place between 8AM and 11PM; and • the audience is no more than 500 people You also don’t need a licence: • to put on unamplified live music at any place between the same hours; or • to put on amplified live music at a workplace between the same hours and provided the audience is no more than 500 people.

In other circumstances, a licence may be required. One licence application can cover all types of regulated entertainment and the sale or supply of alcohol.

There are exemptions from the need for a licence for music entertainment, in defined circumstances as set out in the Guidance , including for: • places of public worship, village halls, church halls and other similar buildings • schools • hospitals • local authority premises • incidental music – ie. incidental to other activities that aren’t “regulated entertainment”

Sale or supply of alcohol

The sale by retail of alcohol and the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club are both licensable activities. If you want to sell or provide alcohol you should first check that the venue you are using has a Premises Licence and that there is a named ‘supervisor’ who holds a Personal Licence to sell alcohol. Alternatively the venue may have a Club Premises Certificate which includes the sale of alcohol. Please contact your local authority for details – see contacts below.

Alcohol as raffle prizes

The provision of alcohol as prizes in raffles and tombolas is exempt from the licensing regulations, provided the raffle/lottery fulfils certain conditions (The Licensing Act 2003 [Section 175]). These are: • The raffle must be promoted as an incidental event (i.e. not the main event) within an ‘exempt entertainment’, defined as a bazaar, sale of work, fete, dinner, dance, sporting or athletic event, or other similar entertainment;

• after deduction of expenses, all proceeds of the entertainment are not for personal gain; • the alcohol is in a sealed container; • no prize is a money prize; • tickets are only issued during the entertainment (i.e. not sold in advance) • the raffle/lottery is not the main inducement to attend • it is NOT permissible to sell tickets which can then be exchanged for an alcoholic drink, or to ask for a donation in return for alcohol.

Raffles run during the course of another event, and where tickets are not sold in advance, don’t need to be registered. Raffles in which tickets are sold to members of the public in advance must be registered.

Who do you Contact?

Contact your Local Authority Licensing Officer with any queries about licensing.

Herefordshire: Phone: 01432 261761 Email licensing@herefordshire.gov.uk https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/directory/21/licences_and_permissions

Shropshire: Phone: 0345 678 9026 Email: licensing@shropshire.gov.uk https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/licensing/

Public Liability and Buildings Insurance

If there are any paid staff it is compulsory for the Management Committee to insure them and display the certificate on the premises.

Professional performing companies booked through Arts Alive carry their own Public Liability and Employee’s insurance. However, you must ensure that the venue also has adequate Public Liability and Buildings insurance. Being incorrectly licensed may invalidate your Buildings or Public Liability insurance.

If you are using someone else's premises, you need to. If in doubt, ask your Hall Committee or Manager.

Disclaimer

To the best of our knowledge, the information on licensing and insurance is current and correct. However, it is not comprehensive. Please do contact your Local Authority, Hall Management Committee or PRS on both these matters if in doubt. Arts Alive cannot accept any liability for the consequences of your Arts Alive event being inappropriately licensed or insured.