Work Experience

[CharlieH]

Hi,

I have just received a letter form my school about work experience. I have a contact on London Studios, but he says that their licensing won't allow me to work there. I am in the process of writing letters to all of the local theatres, but am not hopeful.

 

So my question is: is there anyone who either works at a theatre and could help me to get a placement there, or who knows of anyone that I could contact to get a placement?

 

I am based in Southern England, on the border between Hampshire & Berkshire, but am willing to travel up to London if I have to. I am interested in sound and lighting, and have designed & run the lights for 'Godspell', 'Return to the Forbidden Planet', and will have done 'Hairspray' by the time that the placement comes. I also have controlled sound & lighting for all of the A-Level drama performances, carol concerts, music evenings, prize evenings, spring balls & other charity events in my school for the past 2 years. Furthermore, I have successfully recorded a full rock-band, and would be willing to email samples to anyone that wanted to hear them.

 

I would love a theatrical placement, and so anyone that knows of anywhere, please let me know, either by PMing me, or replying to my post.

Thank you for taking the time to read this (rather long) post, and for helping me in all ways possible,

Charlie

[charl.ie]

Telling people your preferred dates might help...

[CharlieH]

Telling people your preferred dates might help...

 

Yes, good point! :) The letter from school says 21st to 25 June 2010, however I can work at the weekends either side of that if needed.

[Guest]

You may well be able to work the weekends either side of that, BUT:

-The school will have strict rules about when your placement happens (ie. during the week, if you are not on your placement on a school day, then you should really be in school)

- The times you can work are restricted to a time limit and I'm sure your school would have something to say about you working till midnight for a show.

- Most importantly, the schools insurance will only cover you for work on the 5 days you will not be at school, anything else is at the venues own risk.

- Don't forget that there should really be no going up ladders, scaff, mains electricity, loading vans or heavy lifting.

 

I think you would be better off in a hire companies warehouse that is open during normal hours and there will be something for you to do all the time. I know people, including myself, that did warehouse work experience and others that went to theatres, I garuntee you that we had the better time.

 

hth

Jon

[CharlieH]

You may well be able to work the weekends either side of that, BUT:

-The school will have strict rules about when your placement happens (ie. during the week, if you are not on your placement on a school day, then you should really be in school)

- The times you can work are restricted to a time limit and I'm sure your school would have something to say about you working till midnight for a show.

- Most importantly, the schools insurance will only cover you for work on the 5 days you will not be at school, anything else is at the venues own risk.

- Don't forget that there should really be no going up ladders, scaff, mains electricity, loading vans or heavy lifting.

 

I think you would be better off in a hire companies warehouse that is open during normal hours and there will be something for you to do all the time. I know people, including myself, that did warehouse work experience and others that went to theatres, I garuntee you that we had the better time.

 

hth

Jon

 

Ok, that's a possible. I would still prefer some sort of small local theatre, that has a different show on each night as I think I would learn more from it, but I will write to my usual hire company too.

Thanks for the response :)

[Jivemaster]

Theatres have specific problems employing people under 18years old. A hire company office or bench test room may be more likely to offer you work placement.

[Tregilibob]

try any schools or colleges, ask if you can shadow their technicians. I have people on work experience, and its useful sometimes (depends on both people)

[Guest lightnix]

...there should really be no going up ladders, scaff, mains electricity, loading vans or heavy lifting.

Quite right, don't expect to just rock up and start getting stuck in at the sharp end of things. Forget about showing everyone what you think you know; use work experience as an opportunity to watch professionals doing it and to learn by asking sensible questions of them. You probably won't get to do much more than coil / uncoil a few cables; although you may get sent to the flies for a long weight or two, if people think they can trust you enough, not to fall over the edge ;)

 

I think you would be better off in a hire companies warehouse... I... did warehouse work experience and others that went to theatres, I garuntee you that we had the better time.

A hire company office or bench test room may be more likely to offer you work placement.

That is top advice, IMO. Even after all these years http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/old-025.gif if I was suddenly forced to make a choice between working in a theatre, or working in a warehouse, I'd choose the warehouse every time <_< Not only are the hours (usually) friendlier, but the people tend to be more real. There's also more kit to play with, far less sitting about and a greater variety of work to be done i.e. more opprtunities to learn something new.

 

...I would still prefer some sort of small local theatre, that has a different show on each night...

To be brutally honest: I don't think that there are many such venues in existence these days, outside your imagination; most theatres have shows in on a weekly basis. If it's fresh stuff every day that you want, then a conference centre or hotel might be more the venue for you. Seriously - I reckon that probably half the shows I ever did, were in some hotel banqueting room or other - following hot on the heels of the one that was in there before; then rushing to strike everything, to make way for the one whose truck just pulled up outside.

 

Theatres have specific problems employing people under 18years old.

Not just theatres, now we have the ISA to consider. I'm no expert; but I'm not sure how many theatres, other venues or hire companies will have the necessary ISA registration in place, to allow you in for a whole week :(

 

Whatever you do, don't narrow your options. There's more to backstage work than Theatre y'know - much more ;)

 

Good luck with it - Sorry I don't have anything to offer myself :(

[bruce]

I am based in Southern England, on the border between Hampshire & Berkshire, but am willing to travel up to London if I have to.

 

Concentrate on your local area first - your school may be reluctant or unable to sanction a placement in a distant venue. It may differ from area to area, but around here, the schools will only authorise placements within the same council area, mainly because the school staff have to visit each of the employers both before and during the placement.

[CharlieH]

Brilliant, thanks to everyone!

It seems that hire companies are the best option, and I am quite friendly with the guy at the local hire company, having used them for a few plays I've done. I'll write him a letter.

 

As I've only used this company, can anyone think of any large scale hire companies that I could try, as they are more likely to have more to do, and more to see than a small local store?

 

Once again, Thanks to everyone that has posted, and offered me advice, especially lightnix! <_<

[tommulliner]

We have two weeks of WE and so I have one of my weeks with a hire company and the other with my new theatre. Look around, search the web, call, email, visit people. Its the only way to get these things done. Its better if you contact people yourself, then YOU know whats happening, other than someone else telling you that you have your place, and when it comes to it, you dont!

Good luck with your search,

Tom.

[robhall3192]

My work experience with Stage LX , was south bristol, but my schools in Gloucestershire. As far as I was aware, every work placement has to be certified through Trident. This means that school staff dont have to check it out before hand. And also staff dont always visit it depends on the distance. Some people have dont work experience in London, or Up north a fair distance.

[LukeDR]

If you were willing to travel and stay in accommodation, then I know that an ex student from my school went to The Mill Arts Centre in a town called Banbury near Oxford about three years ago.

 

As for the radius in which you can attain a work experience placement, I would assume this rests upon your LEA. For the simple matter: it’s them that have ensured that all safeguarding has been planned and is in place whilst students are off on placements. I can only talk from experience in Oxfordshire, in which students are allowed to any placement within the country. The council store all the placements that they have inspected and deemed safe on a database, and if you are a student going to a company that has been inspected previously, then they approve it straight away. If you’re a student applying for a placement in an uninspected company, they will write and send inspectors to deem it safe.

 

You can always think outside the box a little. Why not apply to a local performing arts school. An institution made for education, you may learn more by doing this. If you’re willing to Travel to London then try The Brit School and see if their Technical Theatre department would be willing to have you for a week. Failing this, if you don’t want to be stuck in a warehouse all day. Then look at other options that are just as technical, such as: Local radio, local TV, photography, video production, equipment manufactures...the list goes on!

[themadhippy]

know that an ex student from my school went to The Mill Arts Centre in a town called Banbury near Oxford about three years ago

what bit of the mill? The main center gets inundated with requests from local schools, and the few that get in end up doing mainly admin .Theres also anjali dance attached to the mill,but again thats more admin and working with disable groups,they dont have a technical department.

[LukeDR]

From what I gathered, he was attached to the in house technician there. As for Anjali, having worked on their previous shows I think it depends on when you catch them. The shows I worked on have all be technically rich, with multiple projection ect... But I think you are right in saying that getting work experience with Anjali will be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

 

Charlie, you should just write down a list of what you want to get out of your placement and then try and find a similar placement which can tick most of your boxes. Remember, you don’t ask you don’t get. Oh and you’re more likely to get a response if you go in with a CV and talk to them because they can’t hide behind their telephones <_<.