How to book

To save you time

Booking tickets is easy, but the process will be even quicker and easier if you ensure you have the following information to hand when you call, or include in your email:

• Name of your school
• Number of children
• Number of accompanying adults
• Year group of children attending
• Will there be any children with special access needs attending?
• Name and email address of lead teacher
• Name and email address of best person to send invoice to

Don't forget! Register your interest in a free in-school workshop

What happens next?

Once we have received your information, we will send you a booking form including details of your booking and terms and conditions. You need to read, check, sign and return this form by email.

Your seats are confirmed only once your signed form has been received by The Children’s Bookshow. We will send you two free books that can be used as a classroom resource.

Paying for your event

You will receive an invoice either from the theatre or The Children’s Bookshow at the beginning of the Autumn term. Payment must be cleared before the day of the performance.

What if you can’t attend?

By signing a booking form a contract is made between the School and The Children’s Bookshow.

Any school cancelling a booking within 8 weeks of the performance date will be liable to pay for their reserved tickets in full.

It is understood and accepted that class sizes may vary slightly between the date the booking is made and the date of the performance. However, any school making a reduction of over 10% to the original number of seats booked within 8 weeks of the performance date will be liable to pay for the tickets in full.

Special Covid-19 Measures

• In the event that a public health emergency makes it impossible to hold a safe and secure event in the theatre The Children’s Bookshow will deliver a live author event and workshops online using a platform called Crowdcast. (We have produced several very successful online events in the past year and we are confident that this would be a good experience for the children participating). All children attending would still receive their free book.

• The Children’s Bookshow reserves the right to move the performance and workshops online or reschedule if we experience a significant drop in audience numbers due to Covid 19.

• If your School is unable to attend the theatre performance because of Covid 19 and The Children’s Bookshow is unable to deliver an online event, then a full refund will be offered.

• The Children’s Bookshow is unable to give individual refunds for children who may be self-isolating and away from school owing to Covid 19. The Children’s Bookshow will still provide the free book.

• If capacity is reduced by the theatre due to Covid 19 social distancing restrictions, The Children’s Bookshow reserves the right to honour bookings on a first-come, first-served basis.

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FAQs

COVID GUIDELINES

What if one or two of our children can’t attend the show because they have to self-isolate?
The Children’s Bookshow is unable to give individual refunds for children who may be away from school or self isolating owing to Covid 19. The Children’s Bookshow will still provide the free book for the full number of children booked onto an event.

What happens if an entire class of children can't attend the show because of Covid 19?
If a whole class is unable to attend the theatre performance because of Covid 19 and The Children’s Bookshow is unable to deliver an online event, then a full refund will be offered.

What if we’re in lockdown in our area and can’t attend in person, will we be able to watch online and still receive the books?
If a local lockdown is imposed by the government, and the theatre is unable to open, The Children’s Bookshow will deliver a live author event and workshops online using a platform called Crowdcast. (We produced a very successful online festival earlier this year and we are confident that this would be a good experience for the children participating). All children booked on to the event would still receive their free book.

Will all schools be arriving and leaving at the same time?
Schools may arrive at the venue at the same time, but the theatre staff together with The Children’s Bookshow team will ensure an orderly entrance and exit to minimise overcrowding.

GENERAL FAQs

Will I be able to visit the theatre beforehand?
If you need to visit the theatre before the performance, then please organise this directly with the theatre.

How long will the performance last?
The Children’s Bookshow performances last approximately one hour, but we ask that you arrive at least 20-30 minutes before the performance starts so there is ample time to use the bathroom, find your seats and settle in.

Will we be able to get our books signed by the artist?
Unfortunately, in 2022, due to the large number of children attending our performances and receiving a free book it won't be possible to organise individual signings.

How long do the workshops last?
Workshops last between 45 minutes and 90 minutes, and the specific details will be listed on the workshop page for the individual artist.

What is the maximum number of children allowed in a workshop?
Workshops are for 30 children.

Can the workshop be split so that more than one class can access it?
The Children’s Bookshow wants the children to get the best experience from the in-school workshops, and splitting the workshop may not be appropriate as it would compromise the experience for the children and/or reduce the content. Some of our artists are not willing to do this. Please talk to a member of The Children’s Bookshow team.

If we are offered a workshop, how can I decide which children will participate?
There are lots of ways to decide which children should participate in the workshop, here are a few ideas:

1. Choose children who you think will benefit the most from the workshop experience: for example, children who struggle with reading, as working in their classroom with an author can make a huge impact.

2. Run a competition for children so they can win a place in the workshop. Link it appropriately to the type of workshop you’ll be getting: for example, a drawing competition if an illustrator is coming to your school; ask children to write a poem, if you’re being visited by a poet; ask them to write a story if an author will be running the workshop.

3. Ask the children who take part in the workshop, to run the workshop for the other class. Sometimes the artists might have detailed outlines of the workshop that we might be able to share with you.

Is there anywhere we can eat packed lunches at the theatre?
This may be possible, but please contact the theatre directly to find out.

What is your cancellation policy?
We ask that a school’s headteacher signs the booking confirmation form that we supply, and by signing this form a contract is made between the School and The Children’s Bookshow. The School agrees to take note of The Children’s Bookshow recommendations and agrees to the terms and conditions.

Any school cancelling a booking within 8 weeks of the performance date will be liable to pay for their reserved tickets in full.

It is understood and accepted that class sizes may vary slightly between the date the booking is made and the date of the performance. However, any school making a reduction of over 10% to the original number of seats booked within 8 weeks of the performance date will be liable to pay for the tickets in full. Conversely, any seats required that are additional to the booking will be accommodated if possible, but cannot be guaranteed.

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Please get in touch with Katy as soon as possible if you can't attend.

katyw@thechildrensbookshow.com

07904 068084

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