Hello,
I was just wondering what you have to do to perform a public escape, i.e. insurance.
Thanks, James

Hi James,

You need to be a tad more specific in what exactly you want to do before most of us can help.

A great resource is going to be Ian McColl out of Australia, his member name here is Trunk8. You can seach his profile for an email address and he might be able to tell you what you need down there.

I'm not sure if he knows but it is worth a try.

X

Dear X-treme, you dobbed me in for one I don't have the answer for. Here in Australia we are going through an insurance crisis because we were following America's idea of taking no personal responsibility for one's own stupidity and therefore sue someone else for the problem you get yourself in.

At present the insurance body is looking at those things with definite risk (bungie jumping and parachuting) and saying if you know it's a big risk then no one is responsible if you jump. Although I think you will always need public liability in case you or any of your team and/or equipment injures someone else.

In a recent outdoor escape I was involved with, the TV studio wanted the EA to provide insurance for their crew even though they (the TV company) were paying the artist. Go figure.

In answer to the questions James, I would check with all local authorities of the area you are doing the escape. For eg. building owners (if you are doing something off a building); water, sea or river authorities if an underwater escape; etc, ask around.

The local city council once stopped a USD SJ escape in a shopping centre carpark as they said the crane would get drivers passing to look up and not pay attention to the road and that might cause an accident.

Don't re-invent the wheel, ask around local theatric clubs or groups in your area, they may have encountered the same problems and concerns before and already have some answers.

Regards

Ian

Thanks Ian and I am sorry. I figured since you were from Aussie, you might be able to help.

X

I'm not from Australia and I haven't ever done any public escapes, but I was thinking that you may be able to just get yourself a performer's liability policy so, if anything does go wrong, you are insured for it. I had to do that for a stage show that I put on myself. It's also a good idea to let the authorities know the details of the escape beforehand (when, where, how many people may come, and how long it will be) just as an added security for yourself. That way, they'll also know about it and you won't have to worry about getting in trouble for creating a disturbance or anything else like that.

Hi James

Firstly, please PLEASE make sure you have insurance before performing. Even the safest seeming activity can carry risks of litigation. And as Ian says, the world is now becoming a place where people sue other people for their own stupidity. Personal responsibility seems to be dying. It is a big problem for performers these days.

A question— does your performers' union offer any insurance for membership? Ours, Equity, comes with £5 million public liability as a standard part of the membership package. It also comes with a small health insurance package as part of the many benefits of membership. And at about a 5th of the price the insurance alone would have cost. UK performers take note!

If not then pick up the phone, any independent insurer should be able to track down a package to suit. But be sure to check EXACTLY what is covered. There are likely to be clauses which would not seem obvious. For instance I approached my insurance provider to inquire about where I stood regarding a crane straitjacket escape. It would be 80ft up, with £500,000 worth of crane on site and a couple of thousand people watching. They told me this was covered by my standard policy.

However if I was to have an audience member put me in the jacket then the insurance is null and void. I am not covered for ANY audience contact without adding to the policy. And that is very costly. This is the norm for insurance these days. They are afraid of what might happen to an audience member who takes part in a show, no matter how small and safe that part might be. They feel the same way about fire, including fire eating, teaching, such as circus workshops, and anything that seems to be out of the ordinary. No matter how much you explain that something is a trick and is actually totally safe they go all scared and start quoting huge figures which you are unlikely to ever pay.

Lastly, shop around. Figures can vary wildly depending on the insurer and agent. And be honest with them. There is no point telling them you don't use any sharp objects in your act and then expecting them to pay out when some drunk pushes his way through a crowd and throws himself down on your bed of nails. It may be their fault, but your insurance company will run a mile and you will be left with a big bill and no way out.

Hope this helps. Don't get to worried, like I said, so long as you are honest and shop around you will do just fine.

Duncan

Dear X-treme, because I am new to this message board I forgot to look where James came from. No appology needed from you.

Silly me! James is in my back yard and I didn't spot it.

Have fun doing escapes James, but be safe first entertain second.

Ian