Performing at the Rainbow DJ Lab
How public performance works for Rainbow DJ Lab kids. It is always opt-in, always supervised, and always the child's choice.
The short version
Performing is never required. A child can come to every class, earn every Passport stamp and finish the course without ever playing in front of anyone outside the class.
When a child does want to perform, these rules apply every time:
- It is opt-in. A parent or guardian must sign the performance consent form first. Without that form on file, your child does not perform. That holds even if your child asks to.
- The child chooses too. Your consent opens the door, and your child still decides on the day. They can say no at any point, even on the stage steps. See Opting out.
- Spotlight is volunteers only. In class, coaches never call on a child who didn't sign up, and the class app won't put a child in the Spotlight without performance consent on file.
- A Lab adult is always with them. At any event, a Lab adult you've been told about is assigned to your child. Your child is never alone with one adult out of sight. Sound and stage crew (Q-Ality Sound) handle sound, stage and lighting only and never supervise children. See Event-day supervision.
- Ears are protected. Headphones are capped, earplugs are free, and children stay out of the zone in front of the speakers. The Lab's safety lead, not the sound company, has the final say on volume. See Sound and crowd exposure.
What is real today and what is proposed
We want you to know exactly where things stand.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Rainbow DJ Lab classes | Proposed. The Chicago Park District hasn't approved or permitted them yet, and no class dates are set. |
| Spotlight (in class) | Part of the written curriculum. It runs in every class once classes begin. |
| Rainbow Showcase (families attend) | Part of the written curriculum. A child plays at the next Showcase after earning all 42 stamps. |
| Rainbow Wednesdays (free summer DJ series) | Proposed. Not yet approved. |
| Open Decks slot for graduates | Guaranteed when Rainbow Wednesdays runs. See Graduation guarantee. |
| Youth Showcase open call, Theme Clash semifinals and Finale | Proposed stage shows. Not yet approved. |
| SelassieFest | Produced by Ras Tafari Inc., but it makes its own decisions about its lineup. Lab performers reach it only by event audience vote, counted by someone with no interest in the result. See the performance pathway. |
| Music licensing (public performance rights for Spotlight, the Showcase and any public performance) | Not yet in place. It's a launch requirement: the Lab needs public performance rights (through ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR, or confirmation that Chicago Park District licenses cover it) before kids play for an audience. |
The safety rules on these pages are policies Ras Tafari Inc. commits to. Formal board adoption is a launch requirement, and no class runs until every launch requirement is met.
Pages in this section
- The performance pathway: every step from Spotlight to the Theme Clash Finale, and what each one asks of your child.
- Opting out: stop at any time, with no questions and no penalty.
- Event-day supervision: ratios, a named adult for your child, check-in and check-out, and backstage rules.
- Sound and crowd exposure: how we protect young ears at a loud event.
- Transportation: families transport. The Lab never drives children in personal vehicles.
- Stage freeze protocol: what happens if your child freezes or a mix crashes on stage.
- Graduation guarantee: the Open Decks slot, and the condition attached to it.
Related pages
- Performance consent form
- Media consent form (photos and video are a separate choice from performing)
- Hearing safety
- Lakefront weather
- Report a concern
Questions
Contact Stephen Henry, President of Ras Tafari Inc. and leader of the Lab, at 872-255-9333 or stephen@selassiefest.com.