Drama Collective Terms and Conditions

By becoming a member yourself of Lewes Drama Collective or Hassocks Drama Collective groups, you accept these terms and conditions (“Terms & Conditions”) and sign your agreement to them as an ongoing agreement between you and Drama Collective (“Agreement”).

The Agreement is made between the parent/guardian (“Parent”, “you” or “your”) of each enrolled member (“Member”) by a Parent and Drama Collective (“DC”, “we”, “our”, “us”) and is valid at all times whilst the Member is enrolled on any DC activity and until such time as written notice is given in accordance with these Terms & Conditions.

FOREWORD

Drama Collective is a Theatre group that puts an emphasis on its members learning about all the aspects of the performing arts in a safe and nurturing place, where they can feel part of something special. This also applies to parents and guardians.

We appreciate that Terms and Conditions may appear bureaucratic and cold, however we believe that what DC offers is different from other drama groups as all members are responsible for DC’s reputation and success, which we feel is extremely important for the youth of today.

This agreement aims to ensure that all benefit from each member’s commitment whilst helping to create the safe and rewarding environment that the group has worked so hard to create over the years. As many of our members are minors, we ask that you as the parents/guardians help us to achieve this level of commitment to enable the success of DC. We understand that this is a two way relationship, so we have included below what you are to expect from DC.

1. INTRODUCTION

These Terms & Conditions apply to all our DC classes, workshops, holiday activities and any additional products and/or services offered by DC and/or its group of companies in the future for any Member (collectively “DC Activities”)

For participation as a Member in a DC Activity all Parents / Students are required to consent to these Terms & Conditions by signature or by ticking the acceptance box for these Terms & Conditions when submitting an electronic application form online. We may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time.

If you are an existing Parent / Student of DC please read these amended Terms & Conditions carefully. Unless you contact us within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of these new Terms & Conditions, they shall supersede and extinguish all previous agreements between us and shall govern the contractual relationship between us going forwards. Your continued enrolment of a Member in DC Activities shall be deemed as acceptance of these Terms & Conditions and willingness to be bound by the same

Any changes to these Terms & Conditions require the written consent or approval of DC.

• A “Class” refers to a course of classes offering tuition in drama and theatre production skills which will be delivered during the Term dates set by East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council (including online activities). Classes will take place once per week for a certain number of hours, as detailed at the time of booking.
• “Holiday Activity” refers to workshops (including online activities) run by DC during the breaks in-between Terms.
• “Term” refers to one normal academic term of DC during which Classes are run.
• “Term Dates” refers to the dates for the relevant Term.
• “Online activity” refers to online streamed classes utilising the Zoom platform, delivered by a DC tutor. See section point 8.7
• “Membership fee” refers to the fiscal amount to be paid per student to join a DC class or activity.
• “Performance fee” refers to the fiscal amount to be paid per student to participate in a stage production.

2. ENROLLING A NEW STUDENT IN A DRAMA COLLECTIVE ACTIVITY

2.1 To apply for a place for a new Student with DC, the Parent / Student must agree to these Terms & Conditions and submit an application form online, in person or by post.

2.2 Each Student’s membership place is allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Applications must be accompanied by the appropriate payment/transfer, as set out for each DC Activity. Payments accepted by bank transfer or cash (in envelopes only).

2.3 If DC is unable to accept the Student due to capacity reasons, the Student may, at the Parent’s discretion, be placed on a reserve list.

2.4 Once a membership fee has been paid, the student becomes a member of DC and must follow the cancellation protocols. Membership fees are not cancellable or refundable, and will not be partly refunded in proportion to the number of sessions delivered.

2.5 Times, current Term Dates, fees and all relevant class details for booked DC Activities will be confirmed via WhatsApp or email for each DC Activity, along with a receipt for payment of the membership fee.

 2.6 For any of our groups, workshops or online classes DC requires at least four (4) weeks notice before the start of term for any cancellation of membership. If a student starts the term and leaves without notice, no refund can be offered, or if no payment has been made before the term begins and no notice has been given then the full terms’ membership fee will still apply. 

3. FEES

3.1 For a Student enrolled in a class or activity, the full membership fee is to be paid per class / activity in full on the date specified on the invoice (which is usually the Monday prior to the start of term), as detailed in clause 2.2 above. 

3.2 For a Student that wishes to participate in a DC stage production, a non-refundable performance fee is to be paid in full at the start of term. The purpose of the performance fee is to ensure that the stage production can still be produced, thus protecting other students within the class from being disappointed should a student decide to leave a class before the end of term.

3.3 Students that are invited to participate in a DC stage production will be expected to acquire a prescribed script (for which the production director will provide an ISBN code) and may be asked to procure costume items depending on the production.

4. COURSES

 4.1 DC may, at its discretion, offer the second child of the same family attending a class at the same time, a sibling discount of £5 on term fees. This discretionary sibling discount will only apply if DC is notified of the sibling relationship at the time the membership fee is paid. Only one discount may apply against the Course fee for an individual child at any one time.

4.2 Once enrolled on a Course, Term Dates for the next Term will be made known to Parents in writing at the end of the current Term.

4.3 If a Course session falls on a bank holiday then a replacement class will also be added into the current Term timetable or the subsequent Term.

4.4 Unless DC is notified in writing before four weeks the start of the new term, a Student is automatically re-enrolled onto the class for the following Term.

4.5 If DC is not notified four weeks before the start of the new term that a Student is not to be re-enrolled onto the following Term of the class, then the Parent / Student will be liable for the full Term fees in respect of the next Term. We understand that over the course of the long summer break, many things can change and we may consider as a gesture of good-will, a reduction in what would have been the membership fee (if the agreement hadn’t been breached). Where possible, please ensure that you give notice in advance to avoid disruption for the rest of the cast and crew.

5. MEMBERSHIP TRIAL 

5.1 Where a new Student is attending a class for the first time, subject to availability, DC allows a no obligation free one (1) trial session so that the Student may try the class and get to know other cast and crew members. The Trial session only applies to classes for new Students. Should the student decide to join, then DC would require a full terms’ membership fee to be paid as per above sections 2, 3 and 4.

HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

6.1 Dates and times of Holiday Workshops are released in advance on the DC website and social media channels.

6.2 For the avoidance of doubt, the Trial session and sibling discounts detailed in sections 3 and 4 above do not apply to Holiday Workshops.

6.3 If a Student’s place is cancelled on a Holiday Workshop outside within fourteen (14) calendar days of the commencement of the Holiday Workshop, the activity fee will be retained by DC and the full balance of the activity fee will be required to be paid.

USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

7.1 The personal data (as it is defined in the GDPR act) of a Student and/or Parent will be processed by DC in accordance with DC’s Privacy Policy. A hard copy of the Privacy Policy can be requested from marketing@dramacollective.com. 

7.2 DC owns all the rights, title and interest in and to its websites, including software, text and media and its trade marks, logos and brand elements. Nothing within these Terms & Conditions affects or licences the ownership of these rights. Any intellectual property created during any class, workshop or Holiday Workshop is owned by DC.

7.3 Unless explicitly instructed not to, DC will use any individual or group photographs, video or film shots of members for press or promotional purposes. If you wish to omit a member from this material, please email marketing@dramacollective.com. A copy of the full DC child protection policy is available upon request. This document includes the relevant protocols for the DC team, students and parents with regards to any child protection issues.

8. HEALTH AND SAFETY

8.1 Students are obliged to inform DC and its team of any existing injuries or medical conditions. All application forms must have any known medical conditions stated and any changes to such information must be notified to DC immediately in writing. If no medical information is shared about pre-existing conditions or learning difficulties, and a situation arises wherein a students’ safety is at risk, then DC cannot accept liability.

8.2 If there is any uncertainty of whether a Student should participate in any activity please consult the Student’s GP before enrolling the Student on a DC Activity.

8.3 Any medication left at a venue used by DC must be clearly labelled and the Student should, unless DC has agreed in writing otherwise, be able to administer it themselves.

8.4 Students must wear suitable footwear and clothing at all times, including DC uniform (where available) for all classes.

8.5 If a Student is unwell or has an accident requiring emergency treatment, the Parent will be contacted via the emergency contact details provided below or on the enrolment form. This number must always be contactable whilst the Student is attending the DC Activity.

8.6 Parents are solely responsible for ensuring that the emergency contact details on DC’s records are up to date.

8.7 All online activities are recorded and held for a period of four weeks for safeguarding and quality review purposes. 

PERSONAL PROPERTY

9.1 Students are obliged to take care of their own belongings. DC can accept no liability for lost or damaged belongings.

9.2 The liability of DC and that of its team and volunteers is restricted to class / activity time only.

GENERAL

10.1 DC may, at its own discretion, refuse a Student entry to a DC Activity if it is felt that the Student’s behaviour is unacceptable

10.2 DC reserves the right to make changes to the timetable, the teaching team, the advertised programme or the programme delivery mechanism (for clarity this may mean that we switch to online zoom classes) in the event of illness or other circumstances beyond our control.

10.3 Where a session of a DC Activity has to be cancelled by DC, LC will give as much notice as possible. In the event of a last minute session cancellation, notifications will be sent via WhatsApp, email or SMS or through a designated DC social media site. Parents must ensure that they provide DC with up-to-date contact details. In the event of a DC Activity being cancelled, DC will provide substitute lessons where possible either at an alternative time, venue or online. 

10.4 It is occasionally necessary to change the time and/or venue of a DC Activity session. This will only be done if absolutely necessary and DC will do its best to keep class times, programme delivery mechanisms and/or locations as similar as possible but unfortunately this cannot always be guaranteed.

10.5 In the event that a Student is unable to attend a DC Activity session, due to sickness, holiday or a decision by the Parent or Student not to attend, DC regrets that it is unable to refund any payment.

10.6 All Students must be collected on time after a session. DC is unable to supervise Students after a session and consistent late collection may result in additional charges.

10.7 DC Activity fees are reviewed in accordance with economic circumstances and may be changed each term.

10.8 These Terms & Conditions constitute the entire agreement between the parties which supersedes and extinguishes all previous agreements, promises, assurances, warranties, representations and understandings between them, whether written or oral, relating to its subject matter.

10.9 In the event that one or more of the provisions of the Agreement are found to be unlawful or otherwise unenforceable, those provisions shall be deemed severed from the remainder of the Agreement.

10.10 The Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of England and Wales and any dispute, proceedings or claim shall fall within the jurisdiction of the English courts.

11. EXPECTATIONS OF MEMBERS AND PARENTS / GUARDIANS

Each member contributes to the success of DC, which is a Youth Theatre group and not comparable to other types of the more casual youth groups available. The students are coached and directed by professionals and are expected to behave like students of the performing arts with the emphasis being on discipline, focus and reliability. For our younger members, this level of commitment can only be achieved with the assistance of their parents and guardians.

At the start of each academic year and/or term, a complete schedule with all dates for rehearsals, shows and other classes / workshops for each group will be provided. This will also include deadlines for payment.

Each members’ commitment is paramount and the schedule will give sufficient notice to inform DC of any dates that cannot be attended. We require at least a months’ notice for any planned absences (e.g. holiday away), unless of course a student is ill where we request to be informed as soon as possible via text, phone call, WhatsApp or email.

Unless otherwise stated, rehearsals and workshops will run at the given times and individual locations. In contrast, all technical, dress rehearsals and shows will take place at the performance venue(s). Please note that as required by East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council, these particular dates will require parents / guardians to sign members under the age of 16 in and out of the venue (more detail on this in section 14).

DC operates a zero tolerance approach to written, verbal or physical abuse by members, parents or guardians.

12. WARNINGS

DC operates a “3 strikes” policy. Receiving three strikes will result in a meeting with parents and Tim Rowland to discuss the matter. Strikes are given after 3 consecutive warnings, which are given for…

• Lateness or non-attendance of a rehearsal without prior warning
• Not learning lines by the times specified on the rehearsal schedule (extenuating circumstances can be taken into account)
• Repetitive lateness to rehearsals without prior warning (3 late marks without adequate notice =1 warning)
• Abusive or inappropriate behaviour to the practitioners, members or venue staff
• Any other inappropriate behaviour

Any student who receives three warnings may have their part taken away and they may be asked to leave DC for at least the duration of that production. We will however review the situation at the start of the following production and may consider allowing a member to return but cannot guarantee the continuation as a member of DC. We cannot offer any refunds for the term but would consider enrolling the students again at a later date.

13. COMPLAINTS

We understand that it works both ways. If at any point you wish to make a complaint about DC, please contact Tim Rowland directly and he will be more than willing to listen to your views and find a solution that will appease both parties.

14. CHILD PROTECTION

The child protection rules for ‘Children in Entertainment’ are very different from the usual child protection rules. 

As stipulated by the law and our local councils’ children in entertainment policies, all children in school, under the age of 16 must be signed in and out of dress rehearsals and performances by a parent or legal guardian.

If a parent / guardian is not able to do this, then another trusted adult may sign the member in (as long as they are not a Chaperone for that show). In such instances, the parent / guardian must include a note that contains information regarding the specific show, including date and time and the name of your child in full. For instance, the note would read:

 I, X, parent / legal guardian of Hassocks / Lewes Drama Collective member, X, hereby give X permission to sign X in on DATE at TIME for the production rehearsal / performance of X at the [INSERT NAME OF PERFORMANCE VENUE] in [INSERT TOWN AND COUNTY].

Reviewed and updated by Drama Collective – September 2024