Photo Consent Policy
Consent to take photographs is something that we are asked for at almost every activity we, or our children do. At RCT we will ask you for consent each and every time you book on to an activity. Theatre and performance is by its very nature creative and photography based. Show photography is a big thing at RCT! We do however understand that there are many reasons why you may not wish your child to be visible in photos. The way we ask for some activities might be a little different to what you are used to, so I thought I would explain why we take the approach we do.
Shows / Pantos / Events etc
As these are publicly accessible performances, on sale to the general public it is significantly harder to guarantee a child can be kept out of all photography. As such when signing up to a show, panto or event allowing show photography is a condition of registration. You will then be given the usual yes/no option for general marketing consent beyond the show. The reasons for this are two-fold. When taking photos of dress rehearsals, performances etc, it's simply not safe or practical to take kids out of scenes live on stage to avoid photography. Secondly, when staging a cast of 40, 70 or sometimes even 180 it's impossible to stage scenes in such a way to ensure children aren't behind principal action etc and therefore in the background of photos (particularly with younger children who don't always end up where they are put!) Although it is likely that they will always be in stage photos as part of a group or large cast, I fully appreciate there are many very important reasons why people don't want their kids in photos - I simply can't guarantee in live public performance that that is possible. It is worth noting that other than those in principal parts, no one is ever named when using or posting photos.
Should you decline general consent when registering for a show we will ensure your child is not identifiable in any photos used for general RCT marketing beyond the show itself.
It is worth noting that if your child is auditioning for a principal part these tend to be in significantly more photos, with a far higher public profile.
Drama Classes / Musical Theatre
We often take photos and videos during classes to share on social media what we've been doing, share within the parent whatsapp group or use in other RCT marketing, website, flyers etc etc. If you choose to say no to photo consent we will ensure your child is not in any of the photos taken.
World Record
It is a condition of attempting the world record that the every attempt area is covered by CCTV, all aspects of the attempt and show are recorded photographically for evidence. Additionally there is and will be considerable media interest both pre, during and post event. As such if you are wary of photography this might not be the event for you - we'd love to have you join us in the audience though.
Theatre Festival
It is a requirement from the organisers that we consent to photos on behalf of all attendees.
