Amateur theatre group constitution and rules

Create a modern constitution for your society, group or club

Use this template to create the constitution - a set of terms and conditions of membership – for your theatre group, drama club or performing arts society.

An easy to edit template

You do not need a background in law to be able to use this document template. It is drawn in a way that makes it easy to edit and customise according to your needs. Explanatory notes are also included to guide you through editing each part of the document.

Use of plain English

The document is written in plain English. This not only makes editing easy (since you don’t need to write in legalese), but also helps ensure that all members of the group, as well as external parties, have a clear understanding of the rules and how the association works.

Strong legal protection

While this template has been drawn with ease of use in mind, it thoroughly covers the legal points a modern theatre group will need to consider, so that you have a high level of legal protection.

With a little editing you can create a document perfectly suited to your club, society or group.

When to use this constitution template

Ideally, your constitution should be put in place when you are in the process of forming the organisation, but you can also use this template to make changes, or replace an existing one.

Sometimes special circumstances arise resulting in the need to define rules and regulations for your club. For example, you may want to set up a major new production and need finances or resources from a third party.

Is this template suitable for your club?

This document is suitable for clubs, societies and groups of all types and sizes relating to the performing arts. For example, your organisation might be:

• a musical theatre group
• a youth theatre group
• a dance group
• a dramatics society
• a stage set design club
• an orchestra or band

Benefits of putting a legal constitution in place

Whilst it is not a legal requirement to have a written constitution, having one is beneficial for a number of reasons.

A framework of rules

A club or society usually includes a diverse range of people working together towards a common goal. In a dramatics society, for example, there might be directors, producers, actors and choreographers etc all with different roles and responsibilities to the same end production. Having a constitution makes it easier for everyone to understand their responsibility and to focus on their particular job.

The business of running a theatre group

Organising plays and other events usually involves conducting business with sponsors and distributors, managing finances, and collaborating with external teams. A well defined constitution shows a level of professionalism, making it easier for you to operate like a business, as opposed to a group of individuals.

Better personal legal protection

Running a performing arts group can have legal implications. Most associations and clubs are formed as unincorporated associations – simply an organisation that has not been registered as a company. This has advantages, in that it is easy to set-up and to administer, and disadvantages, in that it has no legal identity of its own beyond the identity of the individual members, particularly committee members. The implication is that the members are personally responsible for any debts or obligations that arise.

Controlling the personal liability of members is, therefore, one of the strongest reasons to have a formal constitution. If you, as a member, are liable for decisions made by another member, you’ll want to make sure that decisions are made in your interest and the interest of the association.

The document includes the following sections

• Main objective
• Subscription, resignation, suspension and expulsion
• Management of the association
• Powers of the committee – what are they and who decides
• Annual general meetings (AGMs)
• Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs)
• Quorum at meetings
• Voting at meetings
• How and when the rules can be amended
• Provision for dissolution and winding-up
• Other usual legal paragraphs
• Schedule of annual subscription charges
• Explanatory notes

Alternative similar documents

We also provide other, similar documents for slightly different circumstances:

If you are looking for a standard template for the formation of a club or group, see our Club rules and constitution templates.

Or, you may want to browse our full range of Association and club constitutions.