Government petitioned to exempt circus from Licensing Act

Published Tuesday 7 October 2008 at 17:15 by Lalayn Baluch

Performers’ unions are urging the government to free circuses from licensing laws which they believe are expensive, unnecessarily bureaucratic and severely restrict the operation of the sector.

The call comes from both the Association of Circus Proprietors and Equity in submissions to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, in response to its Licensing Act inquiry.

They have said that companies are struggling to apply for separate licences for each site when they are on tour, a process which is both costly and an administrative burden for what are usually small family run businesses.

They added that the 28-day notice period for a licence means that circuses are being forced to cancel shows if a site withdraws at the last minute, causing them significant financial losses.

The ACP’s report states: “Licensing has brought no public safety gains. Circuses, unlike theatres and many other forms of entertainment do not - with one occasional exception - sell alcohol at their premises.

“It is inexplicable that circus, a traditional family touring entertainment, is licensable under the act when fairgrounds, the other traditional form of travelling entertainment, are not.”

The ACP also criticised local authorities for “lack of consistency” in interpreting the legislation. It recommended that a new temporary event notice be created for circuses to allow them to book last-minute sites, or that a new single annual licence be established - a point also echoed by Equity - if an exemption is not made.

Conservative MP Peter Luff, a campaigner on circus and licensing issues, who assisted the ACP with its submission, welcomed Equity’s support.

He told The Stage: “It is essential that the licensing regime for circuses is changed quickly. The chaos and confusion, cost and uncertainty it is causing circuses is unacceptable.

“The government has admitted that the impact of the act on circuses is disproportionate, and I hope that a strong recommendation from the select committee might actually force the government to act.”

Meanwhile, in its report, Equity said that the objectives of the act were not relevant to entertainment, and that union members found the link “confusing and illogical”.

It also called on the government to create a licensing exemption for low-risk small venues - a move broadly welcomed by live music campaigner Hamish Birchall. Birchall added: “Equity’s submission was made to the culture committee inquiry, not directly to the DCMS. That is highly significant because I think you can read that as a loss of confidence in the department.”

Next week, the government is expected to provide a response to questions tabled by Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Lord Clement-Jones about the Licensing Act, and exemptions for small-scale venues and circus performances.

Earlier this autumn, clowns in a Zippos Circus show in Birmingham were not allowed by licensing officials to sound trumpets or blow a horn as part of their act, because it would then have to be classified as a live music performance.