Rigging courses????????

[mr-universal]

I'm looking at gettin on a rigging course, I know that there is no particular qualifiaction you can get (unless plasa have brought theirs in) but I just wanted to know from the riggers of this world if there is any particular course that is a must! I've been told that the total fabrications and UK rigging do good 3 day practical courses. what's the general opinion out there in the real world!

cheers

[erroneousblack]

I've done the Total Fabrications course and can heartily recommend it. I also organised a venue specfic with Tomcat, who are more than willing to adapt the course to your venue. They also supply an excellent rigging "bible".

[rudigure]

I've also done the Total Fabs course and can also whole heartedly reccomend it. If you do go to it though, stay in the Ibis hotel not the Formulae 1, the F1's nasty.

[mikienorth]

I can do nothing but agree. Tomcat's venue specific and more theatre tailored was good, but Total Fabs gave me the understanding but not the overall knowledge of the job.

Tomcats reference manual is great.

The guy who created the Total Fabs course has witten a book 'An introduction to rigging in the entertainment industry' that is a constant source of reference, on my desk permanently - shame the binding falls apart as soon as you open it...

Ibis is a good hotel close enough to walk in from, and the local pub to the works is a great place to eat.

 

However, training is only the little step. Experience and learning from masters of the craft 'on the job' is the only way to gain a true knowledge of the trade.

 

It is a trade and should be respected as such.

 

I have never worked a day with riggers where I have failed to see or learn or be taught something new

 

A Lampie who rigs (not much), that's me.

[Seano]

I know that there is no particular qualifiaction you can get (unless plasa have brought theirs in)

Plasa's NRC is up and running, but so far only for existing riggers afaik. The rest of the scheme is still in the pipeline.

 

I've been told that the total fabrications and UK rigging do good 3 day practical courses. what's the general opinion out there in the real world!

cheers

Yup. Total Fabs and UK Rigging do indeed do worthwhile 3 day courses. Which is more convenient for you - Bolton or Brum?

 

The guy who created the Total Fabs course has witten a book 'An introduction to rigging in the entertainment industry' that is a constant source of reference

Chris Higgs is also an occasional poster here. You could drop him a PM to enquire about training via his profile. Alternatively, UK Rigging's contact details are here: clicky

 

However, training is only the little step.

True, there's no substitute for experience and plenty of practice. But a bit of formal training probably is the best way to start.

(Assuming the trainee already knows something about our industry - otherwise theres no better way to pick up the real basics, imo, than working right down on the shop floor - theatre cassie or rock&roll local crew - with eyes open and mouth shut.)

 

hth

Sean

x

[chrislea.co.uk]

So I have been asked to do a rigging job in the first week of March. Although I know a lot about rigging, I don't have the qualifications. Stage Electrics to a course at about £150 for a1 day crash course. Does anyone know someone who can offer this before March??

[Seano]

Qualifications?

If you're competent to do the job, do it.

(And if you're not, you still won't be after a 1 day course so you'd prolly better get someone else to take it on.)

[top-cat]

Maybe the OP is just confused about legislation on rigging in the UK. At current there is no legislation that requires you to be qualified to undertake rigging the UK. Regardless of whether that is a scaff bar on stud hanging from a concrete slab, or whether it's 50 tons of production rigging from the roof of a major arena, there is no requirement to hold any qualification at all. However, there is a legal requirement that any tradesman carrying out any work in the UK must be competent to undertake that work safely and to the standards expected by the various other bits of legislation in place. (In rigging this would be things like LOLER, PUWER, WAHR, CDM etc).

 

On your website you claim that you "can rig and fly equipment such as lighting gantries and arrays". Surely then, you are confident in your own abilities enough that you should not need Stage Electrics to offer you another day's worth of basic training? On the other hand you may wish to remember that flying line arrays off an arena roof is reasonably different to flying performers on a cruise ship.

 

If you are competent enough at rigging to go offering yourself as a freelance supplier able to take on rigging jobs independently, you will have no problems doing the job will you? Because, surely, the fact that you're competent enough to do it would suggest you've done it before?

 

If arena rigging interests you, you may want to consider the PLASA National Rigging Certificate which is the only real qualification in the UK for entertainment riggers... however like I said this is mainly for riggers working in the UK arena 'point pulling' industry, and is still not really designed for you designing and installing your own projects, so much as being able to prove to the rigging companies you may wish to work for that you are a competent rigger who can work safely in the roof without supervision. If this is a new area to you, then the 3-day courses offered by the likes of Total Training (Chris Higgs), UK Rigging (Harry Box) , and LS Live (Eric Porter) are the better ways to learn. However, as it is stressed every time this topic (frequently) pops up - these courses aren't designed to get you to assessment-passing level. They're designed as a kick start into the trade so that you can begin work as a trainee with the major rigging companies, under the supervision of professional and (most likely) Level 2 and 3 qualified riggers, and use hands-on, work-based experience to bring yourself up to assessment standard - a process which will not happen in a month or two, but more likely a year or two.

 

As an aside, your experience as an Automation 2 with Disney is not a common thing. In the UK, the number of performer-flying riggers, compared to the number of 'traditional' (??? can't think of a good word! Installing points for production!) riggers is fairly low in my experience. If you can further develop your positive start in theatrical automation, I would say you will open many doors for yourself that others will not be able to open since opportunities to learn theatrical performer automation are not common and more and more shows are looking for proper automation-controlled performer flying now, both in the UK and in countries where they don't have any real opportunities to train people in the trade.

[dsharp7th]

I took the Stage Electrics course a few years ago. It was suitable for me as an events production manager as a general introduction of rigging theory, practise and applicable legislation (along with a gentle promotion of Stage Electrics rigging services). It certainly wasn't a crash course in how to do rigging!

[chrislea.co.uk]

Top-Cat, Thank you very much for clearing a few things up for me.

 

Fortunately I have done entertainment rigging in the past (Pretty much what it states on my website), however some of the more experienced riggers I have worked with firmly mention that I need to be qualified to rig. This has confused me as they can never tell me what qualifications. From reading what you have said, I guess maybe they weren't qualified either. Who knows...

 

Anyhow, Thanks again! I will continue as I mean to go on.

 

Chris.

Maybe the OP is just confused about legislation on rigging in the UK. At current there is no legislation that requires you to be qualified to undertake rigging the UK. Regardless of whether that is a scaff bar on stud hanging from a concrete slab, or whether it's 50 tons of production rigging from the roof of a major arena, there is no requirement to hold any qualification at all. However, there is a legal requirement that any tradesman carrying out any work in the UK must be competent to undertake that work safely and to the standards expected by the various other bits of legislation in place. (In rigging this would be things like LOLER, PUWER, WAHR, CDM etc).

 

On your website you claim that you "can rig and fly equipment such as lighting gantries and arrays". Surely then, you are confident in your own abilities enough that you should not need Stage Electrics to offer you another day's worth of basic training? On the other hand you may wish to remember that flying line arrays off an arena roof is reasonably different to flying performers on a cruise ship.

 

If you are competent enough at rigging to go offering yourself as a freelance supplier able to take on rigging jobs independently, you will have no problems doing the job will you? Because, surely, the fact that you're competent enough to do it would suggest you've done it before?

 

If arena rigging interests you, you may want to consider the PLASA National Rigging Certificate which is the only real qualification in the UK for entertainment riggers... however like I said this is mainly for riggers working in the UK arena 'point pulling' industry, and is still not really designed for you designing and installing your own projects, so much as being able to prove to the rigging companies you may wish to work for that you are a competent rigger who can work safely in the roof without supervision. If this is a new area to you, then the 3-day courses offered by the likes of Total Training (Chris Higgs), UK Rigging (Harry Box) , and LS Live (Eric Porter) are the better ways to learn. However, as it is stressed every time this topic (frequently) pops up - these courses aren't designed to get you to assessment-passing level. They're designed as a kick start into the trade so that you can begin work as a trainee with the major rigging companies, under the supervision of professional and (most likely) Level 2 and 3 qualified riggers, and use hands-on, work-based experience to bring yourself up to assessment standard - a process which will not happen in a month or two, but more likely a year or two.

 

As an aside, your experience as an Automation 2 with Disney is not a common thing. In the UK, the number of performer-flying riggers, compared to the number of 'traditional' (??? can't think of a good word! Installing points for production!) riggers is fairly low in my experience. If you can further develop your positive start in theatrical automation, I would say you will open many doors for yourself that others will not be able to open since opportunities to learn theatrical performer automation are not common and more and more shows are looking for proper automation-controlled performer flying now, both in the UK and in countries where they don't have any real opportunities to train people in the trade.

[top-cat]

Like I said, if you're a decent rigger then you should have no trouble passing your Level 2 NRC... and then you will be qualified!