Members Information

 Rehearsals Information

Senior Rehearsals
Thursdays between 7.30pm and 10.00pm

Youth Rehearsals
Fridays between 7.00pm and 9.30pm

Around a month before our shows begin, both seniors and youth hold all day Sunday rehearsals and attendance at these rehearsals is essential as this is when the show comes together and becomes a performance.

Additional rehearsals may be called for those who have principle roles within the production.

Rehearsals for seniors and youth usually take place at either The Newman Hall or Horfield Primary School.

Commitment and attendance

It is important that all BAOS members commit to shows and the rehearsals leading up to them. It is extremely difficult for the production team and your fellow cast members when people are absent, as well as meaning you fall behind on what is being rehearsed.

We ask members to consider how many rehearsals they will miss due to planned absences such as holidays or other commitments before participating in the show.

If you are auditioning for a principle role we ask that you will not miss any more than 4 rehearsals. For chorus members we ask that you miss no more than 6 rehearsals. This allows for the production team, you and your peers to get the most out of rehearsals.

Please be aware that if members miss more than this number of rehearsals or miss rehearsals without a reasonable explanation, you may be spoken to by the production team and committee as to whether you should continue with the production.

We also expect our members to help out a certain amount with activities behind the scenes. The behind the scenes work before, during and after shows is vital in making the production a success. To do this we need members to help out in a number of ways such as set painting, building, finding props, supporting with costumes and helping with the get in and out of the theatre during show week. We cannot do this without the support of our members, whether in the show or not, without this we cannot put on the productions.

Set painting and building days will be planned into the schedule and all cast members will be expected to attend at least one of these dates.

Raising concerns
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It is important that all BAOS members of BAOS feel able to raise any concerns or grievances without fear and in the knowledge that their complaint will be taken seriously. All complaints will receive prompt attention and will be fully investigated. We will seek to resolve them as quickly as possible.

​Concerns and complaints can be raised with the Acting Members' Representative and will be address by the Chair of the Society.

Behaviour
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Each member must display appropriate behaviour while at rehearsals and during show week. This includes listening to and following the instructions of the member of the production team responsible for running the rehearsals and performances. Failure to do so may result in a member being asked to leave the rehearsal or theatre and may mean they cannot participate in the production. Members are expected to treat each other with respect and bullying will not be tolerated.

Lead roles and auditions

All roles within each production will require an audition and members will be entitled to audition once the annual subscription fees are paid. The auditions are closed which means that only the audition panel will be present.

The audition panel will comprise of the production team, an impartial person (someone from outside of the club) and a committee member. The role of the committee member is to observe the audition to ensure fairness, however they will not have an input in the selection process.

In cases where a member of the audition panel has a conflict of interest with the member audition, such as being a family member, it will be discussed as to whether the panel member needs to leave the audition to ensure the process is fair.

The director, musical director and choreographer will decide what the audition will involve. This will usually be a singing audition, an acting audition and a dance audition. As a committee, following feedback from our members, we have decided that we will be strongly discouraging the production team from asking auditionees to create their own 'monologue' for the acting audition and to keep improvisation to a minimum. However, members should expect a certain amount of 'work=shopping' during auditions.

What is required for the audition and the process will be outlined at the earliest convenience to allow for members to decide whether they wish to audition.

The audition process and selection of roles is often a difficult and emotional time for members of BAOS and the team making the decisions. We ask all members to respect the decisions the team make with regards to casting and understand that all decisions are final.

The decisions around casting will be announced by email to all members of BAOS. We ask that if there is any feedback regarding the audition process that members follow the formal route and contact our Member's Representative via email to allow for it to be discussed with the audition panel and the committee before a response is given.

​For those who wish to have feedback from the production team around their audition, please make this request directly to the production team.

Audition Feedback
Following auditions feedback is available from the Production Team for those who wish to have feedback on their audition. All requests for feedback should be made to the Members Rep. The Members Rep will then coordinate with the Production Team to provide feedback.

Understudy Roles
The production team for each show will decide whether an understudy is required for any of the roles within the production. This will be communicated at the earliest convenience to allow for members to decide whether they wish to put themselves forward to be an understudy. Being an understudy will not result in having a performance and requires additional work so we ask everyone to make this decision carefully.

Understudy roles will not be announced via email, a member of the production team will contact the understudy and discuss this with them before announcing the decision.

Non-acting roles within BAOS

We need partners, parents, family and friends to get involved and help out in many different ways! Whether you know someone who can help out backstage, with lighting and scenery or a creative person who could help with costumes and helping out with stage makeup and hair, there are plenty of roles we need volunteers for.

As well as on stage roles and non-acting memberships, we welcome people interested in musical theatre production including set design, costumes, props, makeup and hair, backstage, lighting, sound, front of house support and many more.

BAOS can't run without the support of not just its members but all the volunteers that put themselves forward to help with the show. We have offered work experience placements for students interest in technical production and for those wanting experience in theatrical hair and makeup.

If you are interested in being involved or know of someone who is, however don't want to become a member please contact our Secretary.

Production Teams - Directors, Choreographers and Musical Directors
With three shows a year we are always on the look out for new, enthusiastic Directors, Choreographers and Musical Directors. BAOS continue to go from strength to strength and that is thanks to the fantastic teams we have around a talented cast.

We invite anyone who would like to direct, choreograph or MD for BAOS and who believes that they can bring out the best of our casts to get in touch. If you are interested please email BAOS' Chair.

The Committee
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The committee is made up of members of BAOS who have been appointed by Society members. The committee meet monthly for matters concerning the running of the Society and with an aim of putting the interests of the Society foremost at all times. Outlined below are the committee roles and responsibilities. If you would like the full job descriptions of each committee member please click on the titles below. For information regarding the current committee members and contact details please see the 'Contact Us' page. For a full list of all the Committee Members, Click Here

Child Protection Policy

BAOS recognises its duty of care for members of BAOS Youth and the wider community and recognises that abuse can take many forms. The Society is committed to practice which protects children from harm. All members of the Society accept and recognise their responsibilities to develop awareness of the issues which cause children harm.

For our full Child Protection Policy please see our policy and procedures page.

Health and Safety Policy

BAOS aims to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all members, anyone involved in the production and other individuals who may be affected by BAOS' activities.

For our full Health and Safety Policy please see our policy and procedure page.

Equal Opportunities

BAOS is committed to the idea of equal opportunities for all. Our policy is to make sure that no member of BAOS, or person involved or associated with BAOS receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of:

• Religious belief or political opinion

• Race (including colour, nationality, ethic or national origins)

• Disability

• Gender, including gender reassignment

• Marital or civil partnership status

• Sexual orientation

• Age

Baos is opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. We believe in human rights for all those connected with BAOS and all members of society. No action shall be taken against them by any person connected with BAOS which would devalue their contribution to society and BAOS, or lead to a loss of their own self respect, or respect for them from others. We will make sure that all members of BAOS are aware of our Equal Opportunities Policy and where applicable make them aware of their responsibilities.

Data Protection

AS BAOS collect personal information about our members we are committed to keeping this information confidential, in order to protect its members and the Society itself. 'Confidential' means that all access to information must be on a need to know and properly authoirised basis.

All individuals who have access to the personal information collected must be made aware that any breach of confidentiality or disclosure of confidential information may result in action being taken against them or being asked to step down from their position.

​For our full Data Protection Notice please see our policy and procedure page.

Online Safety

As a Society working with young people and adults we acknowledge the impact and involvement that social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have on the lives of our members and their role in the ways people interact with each other and there is great potential for these tools to be used by BAOS.

​At the same time we acknowledge the potential risks that online media can pose to members of BAOS. Therefore any member of BAOS using social media to communitcate with other members must abide by the following guidelines to safeguard both BAOS and the members involved.

• All social networking sites have the potential to allow BAOS members to communicate with each other on a one to one basis however it is strongly advised that any one to one communication is kept in the public grounds to safeguard both parties.

• In the case of messages and emails it is advisable that another member is also copied into this message. Alternatively make sure these messages are logged and not removed.

• If a public wall post is not appropriate then a member of the BAOS Committee should arrange a meeting, phone the person or seek further advice from committee members.

• The views of members expressed on BAOS' Facebook and Twitter pages do not represent the views of BAOS.

• The Committee reserve the right to delete any posts that they think are inappropriate or are in any way abusive.

Parent Involvement with BAOS Youth
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Parent involvement is so important in the running of BAOS Youth and our volunteer team comprises of parents, family members and friends.

During the Spring show we will be holding monthly open rehearsals for parents and carers. This is the perfect time to meet the production team and committee and have a sneak peek into what your children have been up to during rehearsals.

You will find all the dates of the open rehearsals on the schedule page during the Spring show.

The Youth shows couldn't happen without the support of many volunteers, whether this be in the run up to the show with props and costumes, during show week with the scenery, backstage or chaperoning. It is for this reason that we ask parents to commit to supporting BAOS and their children by participating in a rota for front of house and backstage help during show week.

During shows we will send all important communication to parents by letter, to ensure that all parents receive this information and that it doesn't get lost on its way home. Please check the Youth Cast Information Page frequently to make sure you don't miss anything.

Social Events

We have a full social calendar throughout the year including lots of different events. As a member of BAOS you will be invited to events, however they may be subject to an additional fee.

Aftershow Parties:
BAOS is an inclusive club and we want to make sure our members all feel involved in our social activities. Wherever possible we provide an after-show party for our members to celebrate the production and we love to see all those involved in the show come along to join in the fun.

In recent years, there have been a number of side parties arranged within BAOS Youth where some members have not been invited and therefore led to them feeling excluded. Whilst we absolutely accept that our older members (over 18) may want to go on to other events after their shows, we hope that all members will join us for our club celebrations in the first instance.

Whilst we obviously cannot police the social activities of our members, we would discourage anyone from arranging an exclusive party during show week to avoid any upset.

Underage Drinking:
BAOS has a club policy on underage drinking and would not expect anyone under the age of 18 to bring or drink alcohol at any of our social events. If under 18s are seen to be drinking then their parents will be contacted and they will be asked to leave the social event.

Photo and Publicity Material
To enable BAOS to promote the club and shows, photos are often taken at rehearsals and performances. Members have the opportunity to 'opt out' of being in photographs and other material when they become a member, and at any time by speaking to one of the Committee.

Official photographs of the shows are kept in a secure location and are only available to the Committee for the purposes of publicity. All rehearsal photos and DVDs will be deleted after the show has been completed. The number of photos taken during rehearsals will be restricted and will be a focus on group shots rather than individual close ups.