Drame Society Constitution

  1. The role of the Balliol College Dramatics Society (hereafter referred to as “the Society”) is to encourage, finance, and facilitate dramatic productions involving the members of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College.
  2. The Society is an autonomous component of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College as laid out under Standing Order 6.2.2 of the Junior Common Room. This Constitution is recognised as part of Standing Order 6.2.2.
  3. All members of the Junior Common Room are members of the Society. There is no charge for this membership.
  4. A committee composing a President, Treasurer, and Secretary as laid out in Standing Order 6.2.2 will run the Society. These three positions are Junior Common Room positions and, as such, are subject to the Junior Common Room Constitution and Standing Orders concerning their filling. This will be by annual election as specified by the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Junior Common Room.
  5. The Society is financially autonomous from the Junior Common Room. The Treasurer shall present a report to each meeting of the Arts Subcommittee, and a record of annual accounts to the Junior Common Room the week prior to elections.
  6. The Society may use its funds to: a) promote and support dramatic productions and events within the Junior Common Room, subject to the approval of the JCR Treasurer and the Arts Subcommittee; b) award loans to dramatic productions under their own authority, subject to Article 9.
  7. The Society is primarily funded by profits made from loans given by the Society to Junior Common Room members as laid out in Article 7 of this Constitution.
  8. All requests for funding for dramatic ventures from the Junior Common Room of Balliol College should be directed towards the Society. The Society will be the sole source of dramatic funding from the Junior Common Room of Balliol College, and is responsible for all issues pertaining to drama in the, or presented to, the Junior Common Room. It is the responsibility of the committee members of the Society that any matters pertaining to drama arising at any General Meeting of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College is recommended for referral to the Society.
  9. The Society shall only award loans to dramatic productions that fulfil all the following conditions:
    1. That at least one member of the production crew or cast is a member of the Junior Common Room.
    2. That at the time of making the loan, the production has a confirmed director and producer, and either has booked or is applying to book a venue
    3. The contract for any loan should have the form given below.
    4. Decision of what action should be taken in the case of breach of contract is at the discretion of the committee of the Society.
    5. No grant of funds may be made by the Society without the agreement of the Drama Society President, the Drama Society Treasurer and the Drama Society Secretary (subject to the occupancy of those positions).
  10. This Constitution may only be altered by a General Meeting of the Junior Common Room, as under the rules and procedures governing the changing of the Standing Orders as laid out in the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College.

Example Contract

This agreement is made on the_____, between Balliol College Dramatics Society (‘The Society’) and            (‘The Producers’), acting as authorised representatives of_____ (‘The Company’).

The Society and The Producers (who agree jointly and severally) agree as follows:

1) The Producers agree to present the production of_____ (‘The Production’), to be performed at         _ (‘The Venue’), on the following dates:           _

2) The Society and The Producers agree that The Budget for The Production shall be as set out in the document attached to this agreement, each page of which is initialled by the parties hereto (‘The Budget’), and The Producers agree to seek The Society’ approval in writing before altering or amending The Budget.

3) The Society agrees:

i. to provide financial backing for The Production in the sum of £_____ pounds(‘The Funding’), being ___% (_ per cent) of The Budget; and

ii. to provide The Producers with an up-front payment of £_____ (__pounds), taken from The Funding, to help themcover the advance costs of The Production; the receipt of whichThe Producers hereby acknowledge.

4) The Producers agree:

i. to maintain detailed and accurate accounts and records of The Production and to make such accounts and records available to The Society within 48 hours of request;

ii. to notify The Society in writing within 48 hours, when settlement has been made by The Venue or if The Production has been cancelled;

iii. to provide The Society with a full financial statement of The Production within seven days of the settlement or of cancellation;

iv. to provide full publicity for The Production and to print the The Society name and logo within any programs, or any websites or printed marketing materials, and in any other document, notice or publication (including electronic communications) pertaining to The Production; unless otherwise agreed with The Society.

 

5) The total income of The Production (‘The Income’) shall be taken to include all revenue generated by The Production, including ticket sales, sales of programs, refreshment or other merchandise, any grants given to The Producers or The Company for the purposes of putting on The Production, the sale of any of The Company’s assets, any underwriting to which The Producers or The Company is entitled, and any other relevant revenue.

6) The profits or losses of The Production shall be The Income minus The Budget, an amount which may be either positive or negative.

7) The Producers agree to return to The Society, within fourteen days of receiving the final settlement from The Venue, all monies advanced by The Society to The Producers; and in addition a sum equal to __% of the profits or losses of The Production. In the event of the losses of The Production exceeding the monies advanced by The Society to The Producers, The Society agrees to pay to the Producers within fourteen days any further monies owed under the terms of this agreement.

8) The Producers agree that they are wholly liable for any expenditure or prosecution due to any negligent action or violation of the law which may arise in the course of rehearsal for, or performance of, The Production, and that The Society has no liability for the payment of any fines incurred by the Producers through the breach of any law, or through contravention of any regulation of the University of Oxford, or Oxford City Council, or of any other relevant authority.

9) In the event of either Party to this agreement failing to comply with any of the time limits specified herein, The Producers and The Society agree that that Party shall accrue a fine of £50 immediately upon the time limit being reached, and shall accrue a further fine of £50 for each subsequent period of seven days in which the relevant action remains uncompleted. In recognition of the fact that The Producers may be unable to meet a relevant time limit due to circumstances outside their control, The Producers may apply for a fine to be waived in such circumstances.

10) In the event of The Venue being declared closed in the event of public war or calamity, air raids or warnings thereof, fire, epidemic, national mourning, withdrawal or suspension of The Venue’s trading license, the order of any competent authority in the result of any emergency works being required to be undertaken, or any other frustration, or The Production failing to be presented for any reason whatsoever in whole or in part; The Producers agree to return any monies advanced by The Society to them or to The Company within fourteen days of the cancellation of The Production. The Producers further agree that they shall be liable for any losses arising from the cancellation of any performance or performances, rehearsal or rehearsals thereby caused, and agree to indemnify The Society for any losses whatsoever arising from the cancellation or presentation of The Production.

The parties to this agreement hereby sign their acceptance of its terms:

 

The Society President:            __________________________[name]

 

     __________________________[sign]

 

The Society Treasurer: __________________________[name]

 __________________________[sign]

           

The Society Secretary: __________________________[name]

__________________________[sign]

 

for Balliol College Dramatics Society, and

__________________________[name]

___________________________[sign]

 

__________________________[name]

___________________________[sign]

 

for The Producers