Secretary: Mr M. Jamieson, 35 Buchan Drive, PERTH, PH1  1NQ, 
Tel: 01738 631615, Email: perthcompfest@blueyonder.co.uk

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT:  The safety of children and members of other vulnerable groups is paramount and all, without exception, have the right to protection from abuse.  All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously, responded to swiftly and appropriately and all the festival’s trustees/volunteers have a responsibility to report concerns.     

1. PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF ORGANISATION

The Object of the Association is to advance, promote and encourage generally by means of competition Festivals, the study and practice of the Arts of Music, Dancing, Elocution, Literature and Acting.
The festival provides a platform for amateur performance combined with an educational element from professional adjudicators (musicians, dancers and speakers).

2. THE FESTIVAL ENVIRONMENT

The Perthshire Musical (Competition) Festival Association is a Scottish Charity, No. SC010789. It is organised entirely by volunteers.

The festival is held in several buildings.

The North Inch Community Campus in Gowans Terrace, Perth is used by St John’s Academy (Primary & Secondary) as well as various other groups.  Members of the public, other than those attending the festival, do have access to this venue.  The festival is not run by St John’s Academy.

On the days when St Leonard’s Church in Marshall Place is used for the festival, it is not open to
members of the public, other than those attending the festival.

It is possible that, subject to entries, other premises may also be used.

It is the policy of our festival to inform and involve parents / guardians / carers and teachers, in partnership with the festival, in implementing this policy. This is in order to ensure, as far as it is reasonably practicable, a safe environment at our festival.  We do this by ensuring that you receive a copy of this policy at the time you are making arrangements to attend our festival.

3. THIS POLICY APPLIES TO:-

This policy applies to           (a) Children, i.e. any person under the age of 18 years
(b) Vulnerable Adults who are identified to the organisers prior to their arrival at the festival.

This should be done by contacting the address or telephone number at the head of this document.  Our festival actively seeks, wherever possible, to meet these needs, but must know beforehand in order to prepare support - or to let you know we are unable to help.

4. FESTIVAL PERSONNEL

Festival Personnel fall into four categories:-                  a) Committee Members
b) Stewards
c) Adjudicators
d) Accompanists

Committee Members are elected at the Annual General Meeting.  Additional Members may be co-opted at any time.  Stewards are appointed from volunteers by the Stewards’ Convenor, who holds all relevant records and provides appropriate training.  Adjudicators and accompanists are appointed by the Committee from known and qualified individuals.
All personnel will wear colour-coded photographic identification to ensure children, vulnerable adults and those responsible for them can contact the right people.

Every problem identified to Festival Personnel will be taken seriously and will be properly documented and dated.

5. PREPARATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT THE FESTIVAL

This policy will be sent out by email to all those who submit entries, along with the timetable.  Failure to acknowledge receipt will cancel the entry. 
Those without email will be sent this information by post.  Failure to acknowledge receipt will cancel the entry.
Those who have submitted multiple entries on behalf of others must have agreed to pass this policy on to the relevant parent/guardian.

Where parents/guardians/carers are not attending personally with their children, this Policy requires them to be satisfied that their children will be accompanied to the festival and adequately supervised by responsible adults acting on THEIR behalf.

6. PERFORMANCE AREAS AND CHANGING AREAS

Those responsible for children and vulnerable adults must be satisfied that they have made suitable arrangements for the supervision of their charges.
A changing room for female dancers will be provided at North Inch Community Campus.  The changing room will not be supervised by festival personnel.  Male dancers are advised to arrive in readiness for their performance.
The Performance Areas (the stage and practice areas) are stewarded during competition.

7. STILL AND MOVING IMAGES and PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

The Association has a duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent the potential misuse of photography, including digital photography, and recording, either audio or video, including breaches of the copyright laws. For the purposes of Section 7, the ethos behind the Supporting Legislation (See 8 below) applies to Vulnerable Adults as well as children.

Bona fide Press Photographers attend, when available, and take photographs for possible publication.

8. SUPPORTING LEGISLATION

The Children (Scotland) Act 1995; The Police Act 1997; The Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003; Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003; The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

9. POLICY REVIEW

The organisers will review their policy annually, revising and enhancing it as necessary.  In doing this, they will look to the British & International Federation of Festivals for support and that body, in turn, will look to other agencies for good practice.

10. ADOPTION OF POLICY

This policy was adopted at a Committee Meeting of the Perthshire Musical (Competition) Festival Association on Friday 17 September 2004 and updated on Friday 6 June 2008 and again on Friday 7 September 2012.