Lighthouse to pioneer new award for next generation

By pioneering a new entry-level qualification, Lighthouse is highlighting offstage roles to young people interested in exploring careers in theatre and live events.

Working with the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) Lighthouse will host a pilot of the new Copper Award, created to recognise the achievements of initial entrants in the industry by engaging them in introductory training into backstage jobs.

The pilot is being run as part of the Young Technicians course at Lighthouse from next month and is already underway at the Southbank Centre in London as part of its Technical Academy.

“Lighthouse is proud to partner with ABTT and the Southbank Centre to pioneer the new Copper Award and to help nurture the UK’s next generation of theatre technicians,” says Chief Executive Elspeth McBain.

“We want to provide the young people of Poole and the wider South West region with new opportunities that enable them to develop their own careers within the creative industries. Since its launch in 2018, the Young Technicians course has proven to be a valuable, real-world route into a career in technical theatre and by partnering with the ABTT in the development of its new Copper Award, we are able to continue to develop these students’ understanding of the roles available in backstage theatre while providing them with a recognised qualification to open even more doors.”

The training gives participants something to show future employers or training providers, demonstrating they are ‘stage-safe’ and know the rudimentary basics required to work backstage.

The award was designed and created by ABTT Co-Chair and Senior Lecturer at the Guildford School of Acting, Mig Walsh, alongside Paul Colewell, Lecturer at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, as the industry looks to tackle the recruitment and retention issue it is currently facing.

The ABTT Copper Award is designed to be run by schools, amateur dramatics groups and training academies that offer backstage skills training, giving them full autonomy on how the award is delivered within their curriculum. As the ABTT’s new entry-level training course, it sits as the first qualification for people to achieve ahead of the established Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for Theatre, Stage and Sound Technicians, Theatre Electricians and Health, Safety and Risk Managers.

The Copper Award is aimed at those with no previous experience or qualifications in backstage theatre and live events and offers participants the chance to learn how technicians work and how to find work in the industry. Having completed the training, participants will be able to demonstrate they are literate in backstage technical knowledge to a basic level and would be safe to be on stage during a fit up or get out while still requiring further training and investment to build knowledge and skills before moving on to the ABTT Bronze Award for Theatre Technicians.

“The creative industries in the UK contribute over £120 billion to the economy each year, employing over 2.4 million people,” says ABTT CEO, Liz Sillett.

“The ABTT is eager to ensure that we continue to bring new entrants in to the industry from broad, diverse backgrounds. By developing the Copper Award course, which can be delivered through a multitude of different set ups, we are ensuring that there is a base line for quality control to the increasing number of ‘in-house’ training courses that venues across the country are offering.”

While the Copper Award is in its pilot stage, the ABTT is eager to gauge levels of interest for this training and understand where it may be applied and used within the industry. Venues, theatres or schools, as well as prospective participants, can find out more by emailing learning@lighthousepoole.co.uk or admin@abtt.org.uk. 

Image credit: Richard Budd.