Volunteering for Theatre

[zachhwilliams]

Hi,

 

I'm a student at a secondary school, but soon moving on to a media course at college and want to volunteer at the Weymouth Pavilion as a member of the technical crew.

 

At the moment, Im happy with volunteering so I can gain experience in the industry and expand my portfolio. I already volunteer at an amateur theatre, but I feel there is only so much I can learn there because of the equipment not being available/not needed.

 

I would really like to work/volunteer at some more professional venues, such as the Pavilion but don't know how to go about doing it.

 

A copy of a letter that I am thinking of sending is below.

 

(Name of SM)

Pavilion Theatre

The Esplanade

Weymouth

Dorset

DT4 8ED

 

 

 

 

30th January 2010

Volunteering at the Pavilion

 

 

 

Dear (Name of SM),

 

I am writing to you with regards to volunteering at the Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth.

 

I am currently studying at (Name of School), and have a great interest in sound and lighting.

 

I volunteer at the (Name of Amateur Theatre), which is an ameature theatre, and although I have gained a lot of experience working there, I feel that I am only able to learn so much from such a small venue. For example, there is no need for individual lapel microphones, no patching on stage back to the mixing desk etc...

I also operate the lighting for shows at (Name of School), as part of my Performing Arts double award course, and manage a team of followspot operators if required. Working on shows at both of these venues have given me a great insight into the technical theatre industry

 

I feel that by volunteering at the Pavilion, I can expand my knowledge in the technical theatre industry, I can learn about more advanced systems and build a portfolio of my work.

 

I would like to ask you if it is possible if I could volunteer at the Pavilion as a member of the technical crew, further expanding my knowledge in ever advancing sound and lighting systems.

 

I would appreciate being considered for this opportunity.

 

Please contact me at (phone number) or (email address)

 

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

Zach Williams

 

Have you got any suggestions on how I can improve this letter, or generally get in as a volunteer.

 

Many Thanks,

 

Zach

[w/robe]

Zach

 

I think that this is a good letter, just 2 points from me.

 

Do they have a Stage Manager on the permanent staff? It may be that the Technical Manager or Production Manager, if they are called either of those things, may be a better person to contact.

It may be worth offering to go in to 'talk to them about the possibility...' as then they have the chance to meet you.

 

If they do not ask you along don't take it personally, it can be hard to have people in who are not staff for a variety of reasons which could have nothing to do with you.

 

Good luck.

[Ynot]

Well, first things first, you are unlikely to get a great deal of luck volunteering at a pro theatre.

Simply because they are just that - professional venues with paid staff. Other than a week or two official work experience from school, during which you're probably not going to get much hands-on activity, if you worked alongside the paid staff, you're effectively taking the bread out of someoone else's mouth. If you have the right aptitude you MAY be able to get onto their casual paid tech roster...

 

As for not getting a great deal out of a small amateur venue, I'd maybe think a bit more carefully about that.

It depends heavily on the venue, of course, and how it's run, but there is the potential for a HUGE amount of pukka experience there.

Take my venue, for example. I manage (spare time) a 250 seat theatre with almost 200 ways of dimming, controlled by a Strand 300 desk, a wide variety of lanterns (around 180 or so) from fresnels to profiles to pars and LEDs. Our sound rig includes an A & H GL3300, 11 licensed radio mics, SM58s, 57s, drum mics, period mics, effects units, all into a Nexo PS10 PA.

We regularly use pyro (under strict internal regs) as well as many other special effects, including projections etc.

And where shows require them, we hire in many optional extras like moving lanterns, star cloths, additional staging and lighting.

 

So volunteering at a venue like ours would give you a LOT more opportunity to learn and maybe experiment than you'd ever get at a pro venue.

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Oh - and being a little critical on your letter:

 

FAR too many lines start with 'I'. Mix it up a LOT and try to rephrase the statements. And don't try to big yourself up in any way by suggesting that you've learned as much as you can at school/local am-dram. Because with respect you won't have done. Just say you want to learn full stop. (And of course check and re-check your spelling.....)

[zachhwilliams]

Well, first things first, you are unlikely to get a great deal of luck volunteering at a pro theatre.

Simply because they are just that - professional venues with paid staff. Other than a week or two official work experience from school, during which you're probably not going to get much hands-on activity, if you worked alongside the paid staff, you're effectively taking the bread out of someoone else's mouth. If you have the right aptitude you MAY be able to get onto their casual paid tech roster...

 

As for not getting a great deal out of a small amateur venue, I'd maybe think a bit more carefully about that.

It depends heavily on the venue, of course, and how it's run, but there is the potential for a HUGE amount of pukka experience there.

Take my venue, for example. I manage (spare time) a 250 seat theatre with almost 200 ways of dimming, controlled by a Strand 300 desk, a wide variety of lanterns (around 180 or so) from fresnels to profiles to pars and LEDs. Our sound rig includes an A & H GL3300, 11 licensed radio mics, SM58s, 57s, drum mics, period mics, effects units, all into a Nexo PS10 PA.

We regularly use pyro (under strict internal regs) as well as many other special effects, including projections etc.

And where shows require them, we hire in many optional extras like moving lanterns, star cloths, additional staging and lighting.

 

So volunteering at a venue like ours would give you a LOT more opportunity to learn and maybe experiment than you'd ever get at a pro venue.

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Oh - and being a little critical on your letter:

 

FAR too many lines start with 'I'. Mix it up a LOT and try to rephrase the statements. And don't try to big yourself up in any way by suggesting that you've learned as much as you can at school/local am-dram. Because with respect you won't have done. Just say you want to learn full stop. (And of course check and re-check your spelling.....)

 

Will re-write the letter in a minute, the am theatre I work at is very small, we don't have hardly any equipment, I understand that some may have equipment, but ours doesn't.

 

W/robe, there is a Permanent stage manager, I don't know the technical manager, I know the ex chief technician quite well as he is now at our school.

[w/robe]

Ynot

 

To be fair to Zach I think he is saying as well as the am-dram not instead and it may be pushing his luck to ask his parents to drop him off in Nuneaton.

 

I do agree that it can be hard to have people around in a pro-venue but it does not have to be instead of employing other staff it can be as well as.

 

I'm fairly sure that Weymouth is almost totally receiving so there may just not be the opportunities but if they like him and take him under their wing then it could be a good experience for both Zach and the theatre.

 

Edit - Zach you posted while I was writting. You've done your homework on who to send it to, and you mention your school so that the SM can put 2 and 2 together and contact the ex chief tech. if they know each other.

[zachhwilliams]

To be fair to Zach I think he is saying as well as the am-dram not instead and it may be pushing his luck to ask his parents to drop him off in Nuneaton.

 

I do agree that it can be hard to have people around in a pro-venue but it does not have to be instead of employing other staff it can be as well as.

 

I'm fairly sure that Weymouth is almost totally receiving so there may just not be the opportunities but if they like him and take him under their wing then it could be a good experience for both Zach and the theatre.

 

Thanks, my friend has managed to get in, I don't know if he's paid or not, but I really just want it for experience, I've changed the letter a little bit, I've cut the followspot part, and put that I can still learn more:

 

I also operate the lighting for shows at All Saints School, as part of my Performing Arts double award course.Working on shows at both of these venues have given me a great insight into the technical theatre industry, but I still feel that I can learn more.

 

And on the end of the phone and email part, I've put Alternatively, maybe we could meet up to discuss this.

 

I know that it may not come to anything, but I think it's worth a try.

[gareth]

I remember touring into the Pavilion in Weymouth quite a few years ago - can't remember that much about it, but I don't recall there being any volunteers on the tech staff! The point that someone made about taking on unpaid work on the crew meaning one less person earning a fair day's pay for that particular day's work is a very valid one.

 

That said, though, don't let that stop you writing to them to ask about some sort of shadowing or work placement arrangement. With it being something that you're doing personally, rather than through school, they might not be keen (there may be issues with insurance cover, for example) - but until you ask, you won't know. At worst, they'll say no and you've lost nothing. But they might say yes, why not, come and spend a couple of days with us to see how we do things. And at best, it might lead to occasional casual employment. Don't pitch your expectations too high, and then you won't be too disappointed if it doesn't come good. Remember - a good attitude counts for a lot. The work placement kids who are cocky know-it-alls, sulky, idle, arrogant, or simply just a pain in the ass stick in the mind just as much as the good ones, but for different reasons! Going into something like this with the right attitude will go a long way toward outweighing any deficiency in your technical knowledge.

 

This is pretty much how I got the 'bug' twenty-odd (:** laughs out loud **:) years ago - I persuaded the electricians at the local theatre to let me go and help with the simple jobs (lantern cleaning, etc.) over the holidays, and I went to sit in with the lighting ops from time to time. The HOD and his deputy at the time were models of patience with a spotty teenager asking silly questions, and it's largely thanks to them that I'm still earning a living doing what I do. I got a hell of a lot out of the experience, and it's always a nice feeling these days to be able to do for someone else what they did for me.

 

As far as the letter is concerned - check your spelling! And I also agree with Tony's comment about too many paragraphs starting with 'I' - at first glance, the letter just says "me, me, me, me, me!". ;)

[Ynot]

To be fair to Zach I think he is saying as well as the am-dram not instead and it may be pushing his luck to ask his parents to drop him off in Nuneaton.

<chuckles>

That wasn't quite what I meant, but see what you mean - that's sorta how it came out!

:** laughs out loud **:

[Just Some Bloke]

As far as the letter is concerned - check your spelling!

 

Indeed, nothing says "I haven't put a lot of time into this letter" than an inability to look up the spelling of "amateur"!

 

As a general point to anyone reading this, if you're not sure of a spelling when writing an important letter then look it up. Otherwise people will assume you didn't see the missive as sufficiently important. You can buy a dictionary in a 99p shop (yes, books still exist and are often better than the interweb where you could be getting a US spelling rather than a UK spelling). :)

 

Good luck: I hope you get something sorted.

[Jivemaster]

Look also at the festivals on the south coast that rely on volunteer staff. Sidmouth has (had? ) a week long festival with stages and marquees etc. as has Broadstairs and several other towns. Where you are a volunteer among volunteer crew there is less problem with volunteering into a paid environment. Though to be fair you will be learning very fast in the first days and not actually worth anything to an employer til you know a LOT.

http://www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk/stewarding.html will get you more experience in a week than many places -ask for technical jobs.