Currently child performance licences are free across the UK. However, Talent Management, one of the UK’s leading child modelling and talent agencies, has just discovered this may all change with the possible introduction of a new child licence fee.

According to The Stage newspaper, London’s Richmond Council is planning on charging a rather excessive £50 to issue a child performance licence within five working days and £200 to issue a licence for a group of five children or more within a working week.

The Stage has reported having seen a leaked email sent from within the council, which states: “The proposal for charging for performance licences has now been approved and we are currently making changes to our systems in order to make applications and the payment for licences run smoothly.”

It went on to say that the authority will continue to process individual and group child licences for free if the application is made 21 days before the first performance, but that the plans for the new fees are hoped to be in place by early next year.

Understandably, the news has caused outrage at Talent Management and among other industry professionals. The Stage said that Tarquin Shaw-Young, head of casting at stage school franchise Stagecoach, wrote to the council, saying: “I am well aware that there are cuts through local authorities, but this is nothing short of madness. The majority of jobs in this industry are last minute and so we as an industry do rely on LEAs to process licences faster than the official 21 days. I have authorities who will turn a licence around in a day.”

However, it seems the council is denying allegations that the charges have already been confirmed. A spokesperson told The Stage: “Richmond council is currently reviewing the child performance licensing process. We have a statutory duty to provide these licences in 21 days. This will continue with no cost. No decisions have been made as to whether we are going to introduce a fast-track system with associated charge.”

Towards the end of 2010, the Government pledged to update what are now 40 year-old child licensing laws, but no changes have been made so far.

Here at Talent Management, we think a change is desperately needed, but charging for child licences is not the way to go.

Given the fact that professional modelling and acting work quite often has an extremely fast turnaround from casting to shooting, introducing these excessive charges will essentially lead to child models and actors being deprived of the chance to work. Shouldn’t child licences work to protect children, not to make a profit on?

Talent Management wants to hear from all our child models’ parents – how would a child licence fee affect you and your child’s chances of securing modelling work?