At the Artz Centre, we’re all about homegrown, organic, talent. No, we’re not talking about vegetables, we’re talking about the outstanding individuals that make up our staff and volunteer teams.
With several Covid-19 restrictions being lifted in the local area, as we move into Step 3 of the roadmap; at the Artz Centre, we have been able to facilitate our Technical Theatre training course. This is the second wave of an Education initiative established in 2018, in partnership with West Lancashire College.
The course, facilitated and co-ordinated by our own brilliant Joe Howard, looked to engage a group of local adults interested in learning more about the technical aspects of Theatre and Performance. The 4 evening sessions held throughout May, covered basic skills in theatre lighting and sound technology, and concluded in a full rig for a concert session for one of our Wednesday night academy classes.
The 10 local people involved were awarded with a Level 1 Technical Theatre qualification, and are now equipped with the necessary entry-level skills to assist in technical rigs for future Artz productions.
The course also saw members if the 2018 Level 1 cohort back in facilitation roles, helping Joe to deliver the course content (shout out to Alex, Jamie and Ian for their support)
What’s more, we’ve a Level 2 course planned for later in Summer 2021, for candidates who have completed their Level 1 (2018 or 2021), and wish to further their knowledge in Theatrical Lighting or Sound Design.
Take a look at our team in action during their assessment rig:
Course leader, Joe, commented:
If you ask any technician, I think they’ll unanimously agree that the answers to all problems encountered in Theatres (of which there are many), don’t just get handed to you on a silver platter. The process of preparing a venue for performance is creative, collaborative and fundamentally unique, each time it happens. So for this course, we wanted to simulate this practice and operate without training wheels!
The technicians on the course have been well and truly thrown into the deep end since we began, building a rig almost every week and being encouraged to try things, make mistakes, and figure out the solutions to technically complex problems through trial and error. Our mantra throughout was always ‘so long as you aren’t going to blow the building or yourself up… we will let you make mistakes’ (fortunately everyone completed the course with all the appendages they started it with!!)
Watching on, the autonomy of the group grew week-by-week until it was undeniable. I’m looking forward to seeing what this team go on to bring into our theatres… a frozen tundra? Tropical islands? NYC? These are the technicians who will do the impossible and bring these places onto the stage with their mastery of tech.Â