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Children’s party entertainers provide entertainment and activities for guests.

Entertainers might:

  • provide or guide activities such as art, cooking, games, face painting and costumes
  • do demonstrations such as balloon twisting, animal displays and science displays
  • give performances such as dancing, singing and acting.

Award coverage depends on:

  • the industry or industries their employer operates in
  • the specific role and responsibilities of the employee.

Industry award coverage

An industry award covers an employee working as a children’s party entertainer if:

  • their employer operates in the industry defined in the award
  • there's a classification which matches the employee's duties and qualifications.

Live Performance Award

The Live Performance Award covers entertainers if they work for an employer in the live performance industry and:

  • perform or present to an audience as directed using an existing script, score or choreography
  • exercise their artistic skills to a professional standard
  • have appropriate qualifications or an equivalent skill level.

The Live Performance Award won’t apply when the entertainers are doing a variety of party and performance activities that don’t meet all the above requirements.

Example

Opal is a puppeteer who works for a local theatre company, Strutting Strings. She has qualifications in theatre and performs a scripted puppet show at children’s parties.

Opal is covered by the Live Performance Award.

Hair and Beauty Award

The Hair and Beauty Award covers entertainers for a business that only provides hair and beauty treatments.

Example

Oakley works for Tween Toes, a hair and beauty business that specialises in children’s pamper parties. Oakley does manicures, pedicures, hair braiding and styling with the guests.

Oakley is covered by the Hair and Beauty Award.

Other industries

Entertainment work as part of an employee’s overall duties can be covered by their employer’s industry award if there’s a classification that matches their duties.

To work out whether another industry award covers you, you may wish to contact us on your own situation.

No industry award coverage

Where there’s no industry award covering the employer of a children’s party entertainer, the employee might be:

  • covered by the Miscellaneous Award
  • award free.

Miscellaneous Award

Children’s party entertainers who provide one or more activities for children’s parties will be covered by the Miscellaneous Award. They’ll be classified based on their duties and qualifications.

The Miscellaneous Award doesn’t cover managerial and professional employees.

An employee may be considered a professional employee if their role requires a degree qualification.

Example

Stella and Toby work as children’s party hosts for Amazing Parties.

Stella works in character as a fairy and provides activities such as face painting, costumes, accessories and games to the guests.

Toby uses a pirate theme, wears a costume and creates balloon swords for the guests.

Stella and Toby are both covered by the Miscellaneous Award.

Example

Amanda is the owner of Pretty Painted Faces. She provides face painting for parties and events.

Amanda’s employees are covered by the Miscellaneous Award.

Award free employees

Entertainers working for businesses that aren’t covered by an industry award or who aren’t covered by the Miscellaneous Award are award free.

These employees are entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards.

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Page reference No: K600748