Parent volunteer — what you can + can't help withEasyStagecraft Module 3 · the list every production parent gets at first meeting · explicit, friendly, non-negotiable on the cant-do side · removes 80% of "but-Mrs-Davies-said-I-could" arguments
How to use. Hand this to every parent volunteer at the first production meeting (week 8 or so). Read the cant-do column out loud — yes, even the obvious ones. The reason is not that parents are reckless; it's that the cant-do list is the same list a coroner reads from when something goes wrong. "But the parent didn't know" is not a defence the school wants to test. Parents who push back on the cant-do list are gently re-directed to a can-do role; persistent push-back routes to the principal.
🚫 RULE #1 — non-negotiable, no exceptions
A parent volunteer must never enter any student toilet, change room, or any area where a student may be changing or undressed, and must never be alone with a student at any time. Every volunteer must hold a current Working with Children Check lodged with the school office before their first shift, and must sign in at the office before every shift so they are registered as being on campus. If any of these can't be met, the person cannot volunteer — full stop.
WWCC + induction before any role on this list. Every parent volunteer needs: (1) a current Working with Children Check (Vic) or equivalent in their state; (2) a 15-minute production-specific induction with the Parent Coordinator covering this list + the safety brief + sign-on; (3) a name-badge for the production run. No exceptions.
✓ CAN DO
Front of House — usher, ticket scan, programme distribution.Why: public-facing role, no contact with stage / backstage gear.
Bar / refreshments — pre-show and interval (if liquor licence held by venue).Why: standard hospitality. RSA certificate required if serving alcohol.
Box office — door sales, ticket collection.Why: front-of-house role. Cash handling routes through school finance office daily.
Costume sewing, mending, ironing — in costume room.Why: low-risk craft work, away from stage gear. Iron must be in-tag (AS/NZS 3760).
Costume runner — moving costumes between dressing rooms + quick-change wings.Why: backstage but no contact with technical gear. Must wear quiet shoes + know cue-light protocol.
Hair + makeup — pre-show.Why: cast-facing role, no stage interaction. SDS on file for any new product.
Cast supervision — green room before / during show.Why: pastoral role, no technical responsibilities. Especially valuable when Yr 9/10 are in cast.
Transport — pickups + drop-offs (with WWCC).Why: licensed driver-related school protocol applies; parent volunteer can't drive other people's children without WWCC + parent consent.
Set painting + dressing (pre-bump-in, off stage area).Why: workshop / dock-area task, supervised by Set HOD. Ventilation + SDS required for any solvent paint.
Photography — pre-show only, OR rehearsal photo call (with image-release check).Why: ONLY if image release has been signed for every cast member in frame, per-channel opt-out checked. Not during performance for archival without specific approval.
Auspice / fundraising — programme ad sales, sponsor liaison, raffles.Why: relationship-building role, suits parents with local-business networks.
✗ CANNOT DO (without specific licence + PM sign-off)
Operate the lighting console during a show.Why: anything tagged "plant" — including lighting consoles in a school-theatre context — requires the operator to be the trained/competent person named in the SWMS. Parent doesn't have that scope.
Operate the sound desk during a show.Why: same. Sound is the show's voice; mistakes are public + reputationally costly. The role is paid or student-with-mentor only.
Climb a ladder / EWP / fly grid / catwalk for ANY reason.Why: working-at-heights without ticket = not legal. Parent is not insured for this on school grounds.
Patch electrical, change a fixture, work on the dimmer rack.Why: licensed electrician work + AS/NZS 3760 testing applies. School's tech / contractor only.
Be backstage during a performance (other than designated FOH-side runner role above).Why: backstage during a live show is the SM's domain. Extra adults = blocked exits, distracted SMs, and crossed sightlines.
Operate a power tool in the set workshop.Why: workshop SWMS is for trained staff + students with workshop induction. Insurer doesn't cover a parent on a table saw.
Move scenery during a scene change.Why: scene changes are choreographed by the SM with crew; an unrehearsed adult is a hazard to themselves + the show.
Operate any pyro / haze / atmospheric device.Why: requires licensed operator on file. Outside parent volunteer scope without exception.
Discipline a student — yours or anyone else's.Why: pastoral / behaviour incidents route through teaching staff. Parent intervention undermines + adds risk for the school.
Speak to media / press / social on behalf of the production.Why: communications routes through the PM and principal. A well-meaning parent quote can damage a season.
Drive a student home alone if you are not their parent (without explicit written approval).Why: school child-safety protocols apply. WWCC + written parent consent required even for a 5-minute lift.
"Just have a quick look at the gear" before / during the show.Why: this is how things break. Curiosity is welcome; touch is not.
The "why" answer for parents who push back
If a parent asks why they can't operate the sound desk when they're a professional sound engineer — the answer is:
"We respect that totally. The reason isn't capability — it's the school's WHS framework. The role is named on the SWMS, signed off by the principal, insured under the school's policy for a named operator. Asking the school to add another name mid-production isn't a quick fix — it's a paperwork chain that takes 2-3 weeks. If you'd like to be added for next year's production, we'd love that — let's chat now."
This answer works because it routes the no through "the framework" not "you, specifically". It also opens a path to a future yes. Parents almost always accept it.