Insuring Yourself as a Performer: Why You Need Cover in the Arts Industry

What would you say if we told you it is possible to make a potential disaster into a small inconvenience? Sounds fantastic, right? Yet many performers unknowingly go about their daily business without ever ensuring they have the right protections in place to stay safe. Arts industry insurance is there to cover you when you need it most- but it’s too late after the fact! Today Hencilla Canworth and the Performing Arts Travel Insurance team take a look at why performer insurance should be part of every artist’s business package

What could go wrong?

A key part of any performer’s job is maintaining the magic and mystique for your audience. From literal magic acts and illusion, through dance, song, and everything else, you’re entertaining and enrapturing your audience. A lot goes into your act, from your preparation and hard work itself right through to the electronics, software, equipment, props, costumes, and backstage support that greases the wheels.

What happens if one of those fails? A wardrobe malfunction may not be the end of the world, but an equipment failure could shut the show down, and a pyrotechnics malfunction or fall from a wire could actively endanger lives, including yours. A one in a million chance? Yes- but there are enough stories of mishaps and near-misses in the industry to know that the risk is always there.

Performer insurance of all types is there to protect you from the ramifications of such accidents. Few of us want to think about what happens if something goes wrong- but in the moment it actually happens, it’s already far too late to wish you had help and support. Part of being a successful artist is having a business side too, and carrying the relevant arts industry insurance to keep you covered is a critical part of it. This gives you the peace of mind to concentrate on your art, while knowing the little details are covered.

Risk Management

Arts industry insurance is just like any other insurance package- it helps you manage your risk. That’s different for every performer, every act, and every venue, of course, so it needs a lot more tailoring than any other type of insurance. A cookie-cutter standard policy is unlikely to cover the intricacies of your art or the risks associated with your act. Something designed for suits in a boardroom can hardly conceptualize the needs of a performer, or the risks that are just part of your everyday career to you. This is why many ‘standard’ business packages won’t even cover artists. They view your day-to-day show as too risky, let alone the chances of a mishap!

This is why there’s an entire segment of the industry devoted to performer insurance specifically. It can help you:

• Cope with injuries or losses
• Protect your equipment
• Covering yourself from data breaches and other sensitive issues that arise
• Handle issues that occur when you are touring or performing away from home

You’ll usually find several types of insurance open to you, rather than one huge package. This helps you ensure that you’re only carrying the coverage you need, without any ‘wastage’ or premiums spent towards services you don’t need.

What types of arts industry insurance exists?

Performer insurance will cover all of the same niches you can find ‘normal’ business insurance in. Namely:

• Third-party Policies. These don’t actually cover you, per se. Instead, they protect you from compensation claims made by people who watch you, should an accident occur.
• Equipment Insurance. The focus of these policies is protecting specific high-value items of equipment you use regularly.
• Buildings and Contents Insurance. These types of policies cover fixed venues at which you teach or perform and the items inside from theft, damage, fire, and other calamities. These are only needed if you have an ownership share in the building or its contents, of course.
• Shipping Insurance. Physical performers would only rarely need to use this, if they are shipping costumes or equipment ahead of them to a venue. For artists, however, this covers you until your piece is in the hands of the buyer.
• Health Insurance. This covers you in event of sickness or injury.
• Travel Insurance. If you tour or perform away from home, this gives you vital coverage across several categories as you travel. We are, of course, your local experts in Performing Arts Travel Insurance, so if you’re in the market, don’t hesitate to reach out.
• Cruise Ship Insurance. Because being a live-in performer on a cruise liner is slightly different, there are often specific policies to cover you.

While you will find ‘generic’ policies that cover these aspects, arts industry insurance is specifically designed with your profession in mind, helping to give you the coverage you need that’s tailored to your niche.

Travel Insurance for artists

As a specialist performing arts travel insurance company, Hencilla Canworth doesn’t offer every package on the list above, of course. However, if you need Cruise ship specific travel insurance, or general performing arts travel insurance, look no further for your needs.

Travel is one of the riskiest aspects of your career as a performer, simply because a lot more can go wrong when you’re moving your entire show and self from venue to venue. It’s also one of the times you are most vulnerable, as you are away from home, may not speak the language or know how to find or access services, source replacements, or even interact with authority figures like the police or medical staff. No one wants to find out all their costumes are missing sitting in a foreign airport!

That’s why the Performing Arts Travel Insurance team has worked so hard to develop performer insurance that works for you. From giving you coverage where you need it to ensuring you have the peace of mind to travel without worry, we’re proud to help keep you on the road and doing what you love most.