CONTRACT
CONTRACT FOR TEACHING SERVICES
FREELANCE TEACHER FOR SHOWTIME CIRCUS
This Agreement is made between Showtime Circus Ltd ("Showtime Circus", "the Company") and the freelance teacher named below ("you", "the Freelancer").
DATES OF ENGAGEMENT
1. This engagement shall commence on the date of signature at 9am and finish 12 months after the date of your last invoice.
2. Either party may terminate this contract at an earlier date by giving the other at least 4 weeks' notice in writing, subject to clause 15 (Termination for Cause) and clause 16 (Garden Leave).
THE SERVICES
3. Your job description is individual to you and discussed by your branch manager prior to being sent this contract.
EXCLUSIVITY & CONFLICT OF INTEREST
4. During the term of this Agreement, you must notify your branch manager in writing before undertaking any circus, aerial, or related performance-arts teaching, coaching, or consultancy work for any person or organisation other than Showtime Circus.
5. Showtime Circus may object to such work where it reasonably considers it to be in direct competition with Showtime Circus, and may require you to cease that work or terminate this Agreement with immediate effect under clause 15 if you do not.
6. You must not, during the term of this Agreement, establish, promote, or take any steps to set up a competing circus or aerial teaching business or class, whether or not it has yet begun trading.
FEES & EXPENSES
7. Fee: Showtime Circus or linked companies will pay you a pre-determined fee per hour/per workshop/per day. This fee is inclusive of VAT, national insurance, income tax, professional indemnity, public liability insurance and travel expenses. You are responsible for any subsequent payment of Income Tax and National Insurance payments owed to HMRC.
PAYMENT
8. The above fee will be payable on the 10th of the following month provided you have supplied an invoice by the last day of that month.
8.1 Payment will be by bank transfer.
8.2 Invoices must include your self-employed tax code and, if applicable, VAT registration number, as well as a statement confirming you are aware of your own tax and NI obligations.
9. Expenses: Expenses will only be reimbursed if they have been agreed in advance with Showtime Circus or the relevant company, and receipts must be provided.
GENERAL
10. Nothing in this document shall be read as creating a contract of employment or a partnership between you and Showtime Circus or the relevant company.
11. In the case of absence, you are expected to source and provide your own suitable replacement. This person must meet the conditions of the person specification described in the job description and must be able to present an enhanced DBS certificate. Showtime Circus will pay your fee as normal, and you shall be responsible for paying the person covering your work.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
12. All data, working papers, reports and other documents produced or developed by you under this Agreement shall be the property of Showtime Circus and shall not be used by you for any purpose without Showtime Circus's prior written consent. Any and all IP, operating procedures and services - including but not limited to structure games, curricula, lesson structures, rigging methods, and progression frameworks - must not be replicated anywhere outside of a Showtime Circus setting.
12.1 For the avoidance of doubt, this includes any curriculum, lesson structure, rigging method, progression framework, or teaching methodology provided or taught to you by Showtime Circus at any point during your engagement or any associated training, whether or not reduced to writing.
12.2 For a period of 12 months following termination of this Agreement, you shall not use, replicate, adapt, or teach from any such methodology in any teaching context outside of Showtime Circus, whether paid or unpaid.
INDEMNITY
13. You agree to reimburse Showtime Circus for any damage, costs or liability that Showtime Circus may incur due to your negligence or failure to adhere to the terms of this Agreement.
INSURANCE
14. You agree to maintain appropriate insurance cover for all risks that you may incur in providing services to Showtime Circus under this Agreement.
TERMINATION FOR CAUSE
15. Notwithstanding clause 2, Showtime Circus may terminate this Agreement immediately, without notice and without further fee obligation beyond work already properly invoiced, if you:
15.1 breach any safeguarding, child protection, or health and safety policy of Showtime Circus;
15.2 breach clauses 4–6 (Exclusivity & Conflict of Interest), clauses 17–20 (Restrictive Covenants), or clause 12 (Intellectual Property);
15.3 act in a manner that brings Showtime Circus into serious disrepute; or
15.4 commit any other material or repeated breach of this Agreement.
GARDEN LEAVE
16. During any notice period under clause 2, Showtime Circus may, at its discretion and on full pay for scheduled sessions, require you not to attend any Showtime Circus premises, not to teach any classes, and not to contact students, parents/guardians, or other freelance staff, for some or all of the notice period.
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS
17. Non-Competition: For a period of 9 months following termination of this Agreement, you shall not, within a 5-mile radius of any Showtime Circus venue at which you provided services in the 12 months prior to termination, provide circus, aerial, or related performance-arts teaching services - whether as an employee, freelancer, business owner, or partner - in competition with Showtime Circus.
17.1 This restriction applies only to the specific venue(s) at which you were engaged, not to Showtime Circus's operations generally.
18. Non-Solicitation of Students: For a period of 12 months following termination, you shall not directly or indirectly solicit, canvass, or accept enrolment from any student, parent/guardian, or client who was enrolled in or attended classes you taught for Showtime Circus in the 12 months prior to termination, for the purpose of providing competing circus or aerial teaching services.
18.1 This includes contact made via personal social media, direct messaging, word-of-mouth arrangement, or any other channel, where the purpose or effect is to move that student's custom away from Showtime Circus.
19. Non-Solicitation of Staff: For a period of 12 months following termination, you shall not solicit or induce any other freelance teacher, employee, or contractor of Showtime Circus to leave their engagement.
20. Non-Disparagement: You shall not, during the term of this Agreement or at any time thereafter, make any statement (whether written, verbal, or via social media) that is intended or reasonably likely to disparage Showtime Circus, or their staff, students, or reputation.
21. Severability: Each restriction in clauses 17–20 is a separate and independent obligation. If any restriction is found unenforceable in whole or in part by a court or tribunal, it shall be severed and the remaining restrictions shall continue in full force and effect.
Drafting note: The bracketed figures in clauses 17-19 (radius/duration) are placeholders. Restraint-of-trade clauses are only enforceable to the extent they protect a legitimate business interest and go no further than necessary — get these figures checked against the actual role before use, and don't inflate them.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION & JURISDICTION
22. The parties shall use their best endeavours to settle any dispute which may arise between them under this Agreement.
22.1 If a dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of both parties within 10 working days, the parties will attempt to settle it by mediation using a mediator appointed by Equity.
22.2 If the dispute is not resolved by mediation, or if either party will not participate in mediation, either party may commence legal proceedings in the Courts of England.
22.3 This Contract is governed by English law and is subject to the jurisdiction of the English Courts.
COMPANY AND COURSE MANAGEMENT
23. Content: You are responsible for the planning and implementation of the services, subject to the overall direction and supervision of Showtime Circus.
24. Teaching Aids/Equipment: You are personally responsible for the provision of teaching aids and sound equipment used in the running of classes, except for reasonable use of printing and/or photocopying. Showtime Circus cannot guarantee there will be a sound system in your teaching space; in this instance you must provide your own.
25. Equipment & Rigging Safety: Where your services involve aerial apparatus or rigging, you warrant that all equipment used and all rigging practices meet current industry safety standards (including, where applicable, BS 7906 or successor standards) and that you hold current, relevant training and certification for the apparatus you use.
26. Conditions: If services are cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control (including lack of interest), Showtime Circus will make every reasonable attempt to keep to dates and fee as per your contract. However, in extraordinary circumstances, dates may have to be altered and/or cancelled; in the latter instance, no teaching payment will be made.
26.1 You agree to repay Showtime Circus the fee of £600 (pro rata) should you leave the position within 6 months of completion of the training.
BRAND & MARKETING
27. Brand Usage: You must not use the names "Showtime Circus", or any associated branding, logos, or trading names, in connection with any business, class, or service other than Showtime Circus, and must remove all such branding from any personal or business materials, websites, and social media within 14 days of termination.
28. Marketing & Image Rights: Showtime Circus may use photographs and video of you teaching, taken during your engagement, for its marketing purposes during and after the term of this Agreement, unless you notify Showtime Circus in writing that you withhold consent for a specific image or clip.
SAFEGUARDING
29. You confirm that you hold a valid enhanced DBS certificate for the duration of this Agreement and must notify Showtime Circus immediately in writing of any caution, charge, conviction, or change in your DBS status arising during the term of this Agreement.
DATA PROTECTION/GDPR
30. Showtime Circus, as part of its business practices under GDPR, may share some personal data relating to participants with its freelance staff if necessary. This includes, but is not limited to: name, date of birth, and exam results. Showtime Circus may also choose to share some special category data with a freelancer, including, but not limited to, medical/disability information. The latter is only shared with consent from the participant/their parent/guardian.
30.1 Any personal data relating to a participant is shared in the strictest confidence and must not be divulged to any third party at any time (this includes cover teachers, without Showtime Circus's written consent).
30.2 Personal data must not be used for profiling and/or any purpose other than the provision of services to Showtime Circus.
30.3 Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent either party from complying with any legal obligation imposed by a regulator or court.
30.4 This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect for as long as the freelancer is processing personal data on behalf of Showtime Circus.
30.5 Within 30 days following termination of this Agreement, you shall destroy all such personal data unless prohibited from doing so by applicable law.
GENERAL LEGAL PROVISIONS
31. Entire Agreement: This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior discussions, representations, or agreements, whether written or verbal, relating to its subject matter.
32. Variation: No variation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by both parties.
33. Notices: Any notice under this Agreement must be given in writing by email or post to the address specified by each party, and shall be deemed received 24 hours after sending (email) or 2 working days after posting (first-class post).
34. Assignment: You may not assign, subcontract, or transfer this Agreement, or your obligations under it, to any other person without Showtime Circus's prior written consent. This is separate from, and does not affect, the cover arrangements described at clause 11.
35. Third Party Rights: A person who is not a party to this Agreement has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this Agreement.
POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
36. You confirm that you have read, understood, and agree with Showtime Circus's policies and regulations on equal opportunities, child protection, health and safety, GDPR, and staff conduct.