Summer Volunteer Work

[strandman]

Hi Every body

 

My name is Connor I live in harlow essex and can travel any where in essex

 

I am looking for Summer volunteer work in a theatre doing lighting if anyone can offer me a place email me or PM me

 

Connor

connorsmithers@gmail.com

[tom_the_LD]

Welcome to the BR.

 

I didn't think you were legally allowed to do much in a theatre at 14 - I thought it was 16. Or maybe that is just for a job or perhaps is just for working at height.

 

I would suggest you go out and ask at theatres. Posting one topic here won't do much good - bluntly. Granted people will probably tell you places to look, but you should be the one looking for the job; otherwise it is kind of like people doing your homework for you. Maybe that is just me being old-man ish!

 

 

I would suggest by calling up the local venues though - that's a start. Or even local hire company.

[berry120]

By looking at your other topic and without meaning to attack you at all, it also seems that you're not really competent enough to be working on your own doing lighting - how much do you know? It'd probably do you good to do some background reading and get some training in somewhere, perhaps offering to shadow someone for a while until you know what you're doing. I'm not saying it's rocket science and you'll need to spend years training before you get anywhere, but coming in looking for work with no experience is perhaps slightly optimistic!

[benscrawford]

I started working in theatres doing what you're doing when I was about your age. The way I got into it was via my local drama club. Having got the acting out of the way at an early age (thank god!), I offered to volunteer doing the tech side of things, as no one else was any wiser about anything technical, they were more than happy to let me get involved with that side. But as Tom said, there is only a limited amount of stuff you can do at your age.

 

I see that you may be doing something similar, working at the Harlow Playhouse 3 times a year? I would suggest that maybe you get in touch with them, as seeing as you work there 3 times a year you should know them quite well by now. Even if they cannot offer you any voluntary work, maybe they can offer you a tour around the place, letting you learn a bit more about the equipment a medium sized theatre space has?

If nothing comes there, then maybe get in touch with Victoria Halls? Having just done a google search, those were the two venues that came up straight away. Even if all fails, it's always good to make the link and to stay in contact with them.

 

Again, as Tom said, you've got to do the work, we can only suggest venues/companies to get in touch with!

 

HTH

[Jivemaster]

I'd STRONGLY suggest that you look for youth theatre in your area and get involved in the technical side from that point. You will likely find that the county council will organise things on this basis. Getting involved with youth theatre means that they should have all the "Child Protection" issues covered. Trying to work in a real theatre before you are 18 gives the employer headaches with the employment of children(U16) and young people(16 & 17) and their supervision. In several cases the employer would need to CRB check all their staff just to let you on the premises - too expensive and time consuming.

[Tomo]

Unfortunately it is illegal for you to work in a UK theatre until you're 16, except in very special cases where the theatre gains a specific licence to do so.

While the licences are relatively simple to obtain, there are extensive rules on what the under 16's can and can't do, and how many hours per week they can work.

 

Because of these limitations, this is generally only done in two cases:

1) Child actors.

2) Youth theatre.

 

The latter course is where you should be aiming - but these are exclusively on a voluntary basis, usually attached to a school.

 

I did several shows in professional venues when I was under 16, but they were always produced by my school or a school I volunteered to assist.

I believe the regulatory requirements were solved in these cases by the 'work' falling under the guise of 'education', and I was always supervised by teachers or people who would now be called teaching assistants, although much of the time I didn't notice the supervision!

 

(You also couldn't work in an abattoir, should you want to!)