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Finding Public Liability insurance as a circus performer or teacher in the UKCharlie Hull - 26th September, 2002. Disclaimer: I am not an expert on insurance, the following is provided for information only and should not be considered a recommendation of any particular company or policy. Please contact the organisations mentioned below directly for more details. It is your own responsibility to make sure you are adequately insured.
Public Liability Insurance (PLI), as I understand it, is insurance cover for an organisation or individual in case a member of the public decides to take legal action due to an injury caused during some activity they are involved in. Traditionally one would pay an annual premium and supply a description of the activity (for circus, this might be the activities during a workshop or details of an act). Many local councils and other bodies require PLI cover of up to £2,000,000 or even £5,000,000 and may require a copy of your insurance certificate before confirming a booking. There have recently been some changes in the insurance market, some due to the September 11th terrorist attack. There have apparently also been some claims made due to injuries sustained at circus workshops; one suspects that the UK's burgeoning 'litigation culture', and the many adverts selling easy ways to claim compensation have contributed as well. This has caused one of the major players in the UK circus insurance market, Torribles of Bristol, to write to many previously insured circus performers and groups saying that they can no longer offer cover. For many years my own company Grip Circus Theatre and the local Cambridge Community Circus have insured through Torribles at an annual fee of around £150. When this happened I contacted as many of the insurance companies as I could to try and find alternative arrangements. I also contacted BIBA (British Insurance Brokers Association) and the ABI (Association of British Insurers, a trade organisation) The picture is not good; either insurance premiums have risen drastically or cover is being restricted to only the 'safest' of activities. It is very likely that circus performers and workshop leaders will find it extremely difficult to obtain adequate insurance. What this might mean for larger organisations (and even next year's British Juggling Convention) I don't know; I have heard rumours that larger organisations are being treated rather better The following is a list of the insurers I have contacted and what they offered me. I contacted them regarding both my own company (Grip Circus Theatre) and the local juggling club (Cambridge Community Circus); both organisations perform and teach circus skills including juggling, unicycling, stiltwalking and aerial skills such as trapeze. Perhaps the only thing we won't teach or perform is fire-blowing, as we regard it as too dangerous to both the performer and audience. We do however perform fire juggling and we have an excellent safety record for all our activities. It is important that when you contact insurance companies you give them full details of everything you perform or teach. Not all companies will be familiar with (for example) the difference between fire juggling and fire breathing. Some policies will exclude particular activities specifically, some are more vague. If you don't tell them about something you do - and then attempt to claim - you may get in trouble. Currently I have cover under Wrightsure's scheme as an individual performer and teacher when I am working as Grip Circus Theatre. Cambridge Community Circus is currently still looking for appropriate insurance to replace our Torrible's policy when it comes up for renewal in a few months.
Equity (London Office) Performers who join Equity get free PLI up to £5 million, provided through First Act Insurance (tel. 0208 686 5050). To join Equity "as an artist who usually undertakes paid short term engagements or gigs, you need to have evidence of four of these within the last 12 months, plus one forthcoming engagement" according to the website. Evidence would probably be a contract or booking letter. To join it costs £25 plus £62 per year if your gross income (from circus) is under £6200 per annum, and 1% of your gross income if it is greater than £6200 per annum. Fire is excluded but there are no more exclusions mentioned.
Torribles Insurance Brokers Ltd. Although Torribles originally wrote to say that they couldn't provide cover, as the Leisure Consortium at Lloyds (their underwriters) had 'exceeded capacity', they have recently written to say they can provide PLI for individual performers, but at a cost of £500 (the old cost was around £150 per annum). This would also exclude any audience participation, workshops or work with fire.
Wrightsure Services Ltd. Recommended by Torribles in their original letter. However they can't insure circus at the moment, they are more for theatrical groups. They are talking to their insurance backers though and will contact the Circus Arts Forum the moment something comes up, as they are getting a huge amount of calls referred from Torribles.
Baileys Insurance Services Recommended by Torribles in their original letter. They can't offer PLI for circus and have no plans for the future, although they did have a 'showman's policy' in the past.
Dixon Chalmers Ltd. Dixon Chalmers offer two PLI policies up to £2,000,000 and £5,000,000. The former is available at a cost of £75, and runs to September (i.e. if you paid £75 in August, you would need to renew a month later) . They don't cover trapeze or tightrope. The also cover magicians,facepainters, puppeteers and clowns. Teaching workshops is covered and includes cover for two assistants. They recommended Park Insurance for groups. This is probably the best alternative at the moment for individual performers/teachers who aren't a member of Equity.
Park Insurance Services A trade organisation, they have told me they cannot recommend particular companies but did find Park Insurance for me.
Circus Arts Forum The Circus Arts Forum is currently looking at ways of getting appropriate insurance for circus performers and teachers. As far as I know they don't have any information apart from the above, but it may be worth contacting them to ask. If you have any comments on this article, especially any alternative suggestions, please add a comment or contact me via www.gripcircus.com. Charlie Hull view in thread mode or date mode post a new message17th Mar 2005 Thanks to all those who have c... Thanks to all those who have commented on the article; I'm afraid I have no new information about insurance. If you're looking for circus insurance, I recommend you call the companies mentioned; if not, try BIBA http://www.biba.org.uk/ and ABI http://www.abi.org.uk/ 8th Apr 2008 Re: Thanks to all those who have c... hi there, i run my own independant company, SSNC (www.myspace.com/ssncukltd) we are in the midst of upgrading & building a new site. We represent, promote artists & run events for alternative media arts & entertainment. I myself am currently based in Cambridge Uk. I look at equity based things myself from a music perspective, but am eager to work with, in order to do events of my own with people of street & circus performers. I lived in London for 3 years & did promotions, working with magazines & independant people I know in the scene, to want to run this type of & nature of events. I am fully aware that this is not mainstream, usually hard to organize, but always a joy & challenge to pursue. If you can give advice or opinion to doing this type of event management/organizing then please contact me either above or ssnciamae@yahoo.com thanks very much. Kind regards. Hannah 13th Feb 2008 Equity Equity costs have risen. The one off £25 fee is the same but then it's about £90 - £100 for £10 million public liability insurance. To buy £2 million fire insurance is about another £25. Nigel 14th Nov 2007 miss hı there, ı would like to get public liability insuarance quatation for 1 year if it possible to send my e mail address thanks. 19th Sep 2007 www.insurance4performingarts.co.uk Just got aerial insurance with the website above. It was a quick phone call and the lady was really helpful. £125 for the year for a 2 million cover! Exellent! i highly recomend!! 5th Jul 2007 New firm There's a new firm on the scene, Rees Astley: http://www.insurance4performingarts.co.uk They say they can offer £2m indemnity for PLI for £67 in some cases. I haven't tried them, but it might be worth a look. 2nd Jul 2007 Horse drawn gallery I hope someone can help me. I am organising an art show, it is a horse drawn art exhibition that will tour on the outer skirts of London. And of course I can not find anyone in the world who would insure it. It dosn't fit in withing any criteria. Please can you help? 6th Dec 2006 Country Mutual are now Towergate Risk Solutions Country Mutual have now (28.11.06) been bought by Towergate Risk Solutions New Zealand House 160-162 Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 6AL Tel 0870 4115516 Fax 0870 1566378 www.towergate.co.uk/shrewsbury 2nd Feb 2006 News from Equity Peachi says: Hi all, Just got a letter through the post this morning from Equity saying they will now do public liability insurance for fire performance (up to 2 million) for an extra £26.25 ontop of normal subscription (starts at around £80 and is linked to how much you earn). This is such great news as usually people are forking out £150 with Country Mutual and paying for equity PLI (5 million). I just rang the guy organising it to check a few things: Firstly, they are aware that alot of people will wait until september to take up this offer as that is when country mutual renews. Thats OK they wont terminate the offer for lack of uptake before then. Secondly, they are aware that its a pain that the equity renewal date is in december and so it will not be possible to renew both at the same time without leaving a gap. But hey its such a good deal, I for one can live with that. Apparently equity are even paying half of the cost (i.e. should be £50). Thirdly, it looks like from the wording of the 'Summary of Cover' that they dont need a risk assessment (need to check that on the full cover) but that they want us to have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket handy.... nit a bad idea anyway, but a pain to carry around (not the blanket). For those that dont know its quite esay to join equity as a 'variety act' you just need to have done 4 gigs and have one upcoming gig. You get personal insurance incase you get injured and full legal backing e.g. chasing up payments, and the more members they get the stronger the union is to protect our interests. So its the full deal. www.equity.org.uk This is something I've been waiting for for ages, hoorah!! Happy fire playing y'all, peachi 26th Aug 2005 Marvellous site. Was a great h... Marvellous site. Was a great help. Got insured with Country Mutual including fire juggling and fire breathing up to 2,000,000. Hadn't heard of them before looking at this site. |
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I am also looking for self defence instructor insurance and am finding it difficult to find.
Any ideas? oh and how does one get to be a personal safety coach? Do you have to go on courses?
thanks for your time.