Production Arts Course For Backstage

As recently reported in ‘The Stage’, a weekly newspaper for the entertainment industry, the performing arts industry face an alarming shortage of backstage staff due to a huge growth market; “for every one person on stage there is an average of three behind the scenes”. Previously these roles have not been high profile, if indeed people knew they existed and the only training available was at university level or a crash course of work experience.

This needs to be changed at ground level; we need to train, educate and nurture young people before or as they leave school, rather than targeting them at degree level; which is where most of the production and technical courses begin. Aiming to create awareness in schools and with careers advisors is a start, but at Park Lane College we aim to do more.

Park Lane College run an extremely popular and oversubscribed BTEC National Diploma and National Certificate in both Performing Arts and Dance, we also offer First Diplomas and Foundation Degrees in Drama and Theatre Studies; and are now expanding into Production Arts.

The course will cover core units of: production for theatre, production workshop and production planning. It will then branch off into specialist units such as designing and making costume, special effects make-up, set design and photography or lighting design, sound design and stage management. A course like this may be of interest to anyone who enjoys theatre, people who are artistic and people looking for a different option from the 9 to 5 approach. The entry requirements are a minimum of four GCSEs at grade C or above, of which one should be English; or you should have equivalent industry experience.

Our lofty reputation within the industry and universities will ensure good job prospects or a pathway into Higher Education, where I’m sure they will be pleased to receive people with a good grounding in the skills shortage areas. It will also give young people the opportunity to try out a diverse number of skills before choosing whether or what to specialise in; it will also provide people with a great number of transferable skills.

Our course is unique, there is not one like it in the area and we feel sure it will be a popular choice with both young people, who are looking for more unusual career opportunities, and their parents who will be pleased to know the prospects are looking excellent. The universities will thanks us for training and thus encouraging students into their courses and the industry will be happy to know that the young people they employ have a good knowledge of all aspects of behind the scenes production.