Start Your Own Performance Company
As adults, we are often unable to suspend disbelief and enjoy the wonders of imagination. Children, however, can believe anything they want. (Just remember to first protect both yourself and your audience with performer insurance).
Nowadays, princess parties and superhero events can be found within a mile of your house. But how do you begin such a company? Is it sustainable? Do you need performer insurance? Where do you find the princess that all little girls will be clambering to book for their birthday?
Well, let’s start from scratch.
We need a Name
You need to grab your audience, metaphorically at first. If you call your performance company “Bill’s Performance Team Ltd”, Children will have an immediate disconnect. Kids want wonder and magic.
A name like “Simply Believe” would bring that sense of awe right off the bat. It immediately connects you to a world of fantasy.
What do you aim to achieve?
If you want to make fast money through very little work, a performance company is not for you.
If you want to make a Child’s birthday special or host a Halloween event to bring a smile to a room full of hyperactive kids, you’re in the right place. Your ultimate goal should be to pull children away from their iPads and games console and to lit the fire in their imagination
It will be hard work and will require almost all of your spare time.
Source your Performers
Your performers are everything, treat them well and they will bring in the bookings. To ensure you have the best cast, hold auditions as well as short interviews. You need to ensure that they can act, sing or dance but you also need to assess them on a personal level, be certain that they will act professionally and safely around children.
Colleges and university will be packed to the brim with drama students looking to flex their muscles and make some extra money on the side.
Start Small
If you have a full time job, employing 15 performers and running 20 events a day will not be sustainable. You will burn yourself out as well as burning through your budget.
Why not try hiring one performer, somehow who can do quite a variety of things and grow from there. It is surely better to have one amazing performer over 15 barely average ones.
Go Big or Go Home
Never underestimate the criticism that children can bring. If you create a Halloween Ball and only do the bare minimum, kids will tell you and they won’t pull their punches. For small parties or single events, you can use the outdoors or farm for a setting. For a large event, you need to put some money behind it. Hire a ballroom. Get your best performers on the stage and ensure that you put every ounce of effort you have into it. When children walk in, you want them to be completely mesmerised.
Cover yourself for the Unpredictable
Working with Children will be unpredictable. Whilst making sure your staff have DBS checks is important, insuring yourself for the unpredictable with performer insurance is essential.
Your Halloween or Christmas Ball can come crashing down on you as a result of one slip, one bump or one breakage. One day event insurance will cover you and your performers for those unforeseen and unexpected issues.
If you’re not hosting an event but are in fact operating a stall, take a look at our blog on Stallholder Events Insurance.
