A Levels / BTEC / Vocational

[adamcoppard]

Hi all,

 

After a discussion on Christmas Day with my Uncle about collgege / university, I thought I would ask a question on here about the type of qualifications that technical people look for.

 

First of, it might be useful to explain what I would like to achieve: I am trying to keep two doors open, one being ICT (which is where my main levels of knowledge are), and the other being Technical Theatre (I am always more keen to do Lighting than Sound, and it is where I believe, my skills are greater). This obviously poses some problems, whilst a university degree in Computer Sciences etc. would normally take the route of A level Maths, A level Physics, A level Computing and A level ICT (that's the route I would choose, and what has been recommended by local colleges / schools / teachers). This obviously poses a problem if I wanted to go on and do Technical Theatre. What courses are there (and are they really necessary, for example, looking through RADA's prospectus, all courses say 'We would consider it ideal but not essential for pupils to have a related qualification), that would tend to go with a technical theatre job / university courses?

 

With this, are there any A level courses that would go with technical theatre (I'm by no means a Music person, either), as I have discovered, that I couldn't do a few of the A-levels alongside a BTEC or vice versa. This then also poses an issue, or maybe a little help, that I am doing my A level ICT alongside the rest of my GCSE's, so I'm wondering wether to use that for the computer side of things, and doing a BTEC for technical theatre. Then again, would doing this completely blow the chances of Computer Science at Uni (which it probably would), and would technical theatre courses be find on A-levels, Maths, Physics, computing (possibly), (and a space for something else)?

 

Thanks for helping one very confused student,

[charl.ie]

I think you have to look at what the requirements are in each area to choose what qualifications you take. I'm in an uncannily similar situation to you (ICT + technical theater, lighting rather than sound, time to choose A levels), and that really helped me.

 

From what I've gathered (mainly from here) is that you don't need qualifications to make it in technical theater. If you turned up at a job interview, and you had some decent A levels (Maths and Physics are decent, and relevantish) and more importantly could demonstrate experience and competency, you'd be well on the way to getting a job. Get work experience wherever you can: school, local theaters, local hire companies ect. A lot of industry professionals run their own businesses, so something like economics or business studies might help...

 

However, I think that with ICT, you need a qualification to get in to it. If you're interested in computer science, I would recommended starting to learn how to program now. It's rather fun, and you could combine it with your other interest, and write something to help your show along...

With Computer Science at Uni, they want something like maths OR physics OR computing at A level. Most of them do it by UCAS points, of which BTECS count for.

 

On a slightly OT note, I always thought ICT was the easier of the computer options, and covered ICT in office use, rather than programming and making the computer work, not using one (if that makes any sense).

[adamcoppard]

Yes, ICT is the easier of the computer options. Computing is Java etc.

I already know how to program, so, which is why I was looking for computing etc.

 

I did forget to mention, that I am going to (and have already done) some work experience in the computing industry, and am also going to attempt to do a job with a company in technical theare I know.

 

Also, let me know how you get on with your quest (I'm still a year off, but I want to have a good idea as to what I'm doing), and I shall look into this points system.

 

Maybe the Maths, Physics, something else and study might be a better way to do, so that I can work on technical theatre stuff?

[paulears]

You're making the fatal and very common mistake of choosing things you like, rather than thing you can excel at. Computers may be boring but the job prospects and money available for really good people seem far better than working in this industry, where everybody pretends to be an expert.

 

The blunt facts of qualifications nowadays are that it's the university who decide which they want. They should be looking for ones they know are important. So if you wish to do computers at uni, what essential skills that A level computer people may have, will you be missing by doing theatre? If they are critical skills for a specific uni programme, they won't want you.

 

Edexcel, who own BTEC pointed out to me this week that some of their people have been telling schools and colleges that BTEC are better than A levels or the new Diplomas, and others have been saying the opposite. They made it clear that they are simply different - despite all attracting UCAS point - but that's mainly because of the length of time spent on them, not really the content.

 

You need to work out which uni you want to go to, then phone them up and ask which they prefer. They are happy to chat about this, and may well save you wasting two years!

[charl.ie]

Well, for those who are interested, I'm taking:

Maths

Computing

Economics

Law

for A level and plan on do a general computer science degree at uni. And, as paulears says, the money and the hours are better ... but it doesn't have the magic :** laughs out loud **: Fortunately, it's possible to freelance in both, or to have one as a day job and one as a hobby.

[boswell]

A few years ago, my son did 'A' level Maths, Physics, English, Computer Science and then went on to do Computer science at Uni,

Employers were queuing up to give him a job and the job opportunities have steadily increased as the number of Computer science graduates have decreased. 5 years out of Uni, he is on £65kpa and does theatre work as a hobby.

The colleges/uni are spewing out loads of students with theatre related qualifications all chasing a declining number of jobs as theatres close. If you have the capabilities, get a degree that will give you a reasonable job, (Not theatre based).

You can still go into theatre later when you have paid off your student loans!!

[adamcoppard]

Righty ho. This is why Computer Science etc. did seem like the better option to me. I both enjoy, and am good at, what this sort of course would involve, and is something I can see myself doing. Whilst Lighting Design at university was pointed out to me, it wouldn't have been my first choice, but I wouldn't mind doing it.

Of course, you are right about the rise in computer related jobs, and the decline of the theatre jobs. Ofcourse, as mentioned, it is always something I could pop back and do later.

[Rax]

Hello Adam. If you were to go into theatre tech, are you fairly sure is it most likely lighting you are going to go for? After Uni, would you see yourself as a lighting designer using computers and software packages to help design your plots, or would you prefer to start off as a humble spark and work your way up the ladder in a more practical environment?

 

I guess you are somewhat at the mercy of your local sixth form college and the courses offered. If you can organise practical experience as a 'casual tech' with student theatre and a local professional theatre, this might be the best way forward whilst you pursue an 'A' level route towards computing and IT. Talk to the lecturers in the performing arts dept of your intended college to see if they would consider using you as a 'tech'.

 

If it were me, I would drop the Maths and replace with either Theatre Studies or Electronics (but only if interested in it). But then the academics would scream at me saying that Maths and Physics go well together.

[paulears]

I suspect that it would be VERY wise to check what the universities think of qualifications with the word "studies" at the end. Theatre studies is a very strange subject, and a through read of the specification shows it's heavy on study and very light on actual doing! Many places that cannot offer a 'proper' performing arts qualification because of either lack of specialist staff or decent facilities offer Theatre Studies A level as it needs very little resourcing.

[adamcoppard]

Thanks for that folks. If you don't mind me asking, what industry related qualifications do you lot have, if any? Do they help in situations you come up against every day?

Whilst I'm still a little way off of actually taking choices, it's nice to know what subjects I can look into doing, and also, having just heard how many UCAS points you need to get on courses.

[Rax]

Adam, you asked about industry qualifications. At sixth form college I did A level maths, physics, chemistry and electronics. I gave up with maths in the second year because I couldn't understand what was going on but passed the others. More importantly, I was lucky enough to go to a college that had its own theatre and serviced it with labour from the two year non-exam tech theatre course I signed up to. This course was also a gateway to working as a casual at the local repertory company.

 

When exams were over, I was offered a job as the stage electrician with the local rep. I think a lot of opportunities in our world come from being in the right place at the right time, and from getting your face known and shown. I declined the spark's job as that morning a national broadcaster made me an offer I just couldn't refuse. I think the A levels were the gateway to engineer training, but the theatre tech course was the key to being assigned to a department with greatest involvement in the theatre and concert worlds.