The Stage

Technical Training - Technical Training supplement

Published Friday 22 April 2005 at 13:15 by AK Bennett-Hunter

Formal education and on the job training have traditionally been the two uncomplementary routes into technical theatre, each treading a different path with their own horizons. AK Bennett-Hunter looks at the development of a nationally accredited set of core qualifications, by which both students and employers can ensure a level playing field.

Very many people who wish to work in the technical areas of theatre and other forms of live entertainment and events management train on a technical theatre course. The content and nature of these courses is described elsewhere in this issue. However, that is not the only route into technical work. It is still possible to get a job following a Further Education course and a BTEC qualification. Sometimes it is possible to get casual work as a member of the show crew and develop experience from there.

But whether you have a degree or a diploma from a recognised drama school or whether you are learning on the job, you are most likely to be starting in a junior position. You will certainly want to gain promotion to a post where greater expertise is required and you may soon be in a position where management skills are also needed. Indeed, you may have the ambition to be a production manager, a technical director or, in a wider field than technical theatre, become a general manager.

The difficulty with this system is that while graduates of drama schools will have a good all-round knowledge of production techniques, there is no recognised core collection of skills which employers can be sure that they have. Equally, the casual crew member may become a skilled flyman in due course but there is no way for those skills to be formally and nationally recognised. And, in most areas, it is not possible for either group to gain further nationally-recognised qualifications as they move up the promotional ladder - continuing professional development, as it is known.

But all that is about to change due to a government initiative on the way in which vocational training is organised and thanks to the enormous amount of work which has already been done by a couple of committed individuals.

Let’s start with the Association of British Theatre Technicians’ Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, which have been developed over the last few years by Geoffrey Joyce. These are seen as a natural extension of the ABTT’s long experience in producing codes of practice and of providing log books for those who have successfully completed training. The awards are given on successful completion of a package of related training programmes, which can be taken over a period of time or over a single week’s course. These will soon be accredited by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

But not all posts require the same package of skills even under the same job title. And how can those with experience gained by simply doing the job or with some specialist training under their belt be sure that their skills will be recognised by any employer in the country?

It is here that the new Sector Skills Council for the Creative and Cultural Industries will be of benefit. As far as technical theatre is concerned, Skillscene - formerly TTTS - will be working with the Sector Skills Council to identify and develop a framework of industry-relevant national occupational standards. The Skillscene board is representative of all the major trade associations and unions representing both employers, employees and freelancers.

This framework will mean that any skills you have can be assessed and your expertise formally recognised in a way that will be accepted by employers throughout the UK. It also means that if you successfully complete a recognised training course, you will have formal nationally accepted recognition of the new skills you have gained.

Tony Bond of Skillscene has developed a large number of modules which can be put together to match the requirements of particular jobs or the special interests of individuals. The possession of these skills will be recognised in its own right but together in ‘packages’ they will also lead to qualifications which will be comparable to those in other sectors, from GCSE to degree level and beyond.

Any training, including that which leads to the ABTT Awards, can be integrated into the system and its results assessed or accredited. And because it is supported by employers, including SOLT, TMA and ITC, unions Bectu and Equity, trade bodies such as ABTT and SMA and others such as PLASA and NCDT, and is being developed together with the industry-wide Sector Skills Council, it will provide national standards which will aid recruitment and provide a route for career development and promotion.

Pilot schemes are about to start in Yorkshire, the south-west and London. In these areas the new standards will be tested and current knowledge and training needs assessed against them.

• Further information from info@skillscene.com and office@abtt.org.uk

The Stage would like to thank the following for their support of the 2005 Technical Training supplement:

AETTI

ALRA

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Central School Of Speech and Drama

East 15 Acting School

LAMDA

Mountview Academy Of Theatre Arts

RADA

RSAMD

Skillscene

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