Page Content

4 Project Introduction 6 Project Outline Project Achievements: 8 Foundation Degree Development 10 Foundation Degree Rationale 12 Employer Meetings 15 Networking 15 Networking and Sharing Information 17 IAG Website 20 Progression Agreements 21 Work Experience Agreements 22 Project Challenges 24 Future Events and Sustainability 26 Apprenticeships 27 Conclusion 28 Acknowledgements 29 Appendices 30 Placement Agreement 33 Questionnaire for Employers Project

Raising The Profile

Creative & Cultural Skills, Sector Skills Council for the Creative Industries, has predicted a growth in the need for suitably qualified technicians and backstage staff. This requirement is both national and local with Creative and Cultural Skills predicting that by 2014 there will be growth of 49,000 jobs in the UK and two thirds of these positions will require higher skills (7% of these will be in the South East of ).

With the arrival of the Cultural Olympiad and the Olympic Games in 2012 there is also the potential need for suitably trained and qualified graduates across the country. Introduction

Faced with this information, we applied for our Creative Way funding in order to investigate potential solutions which would meet the required outcomes for the Implementation Plan to reduce the skills gap in the current work force reported by employers and to increase qualifications levels in the sector.

Our geographical location at South College places us in an area of strategic development and growth, throughout the Thames Gateway.

With the focus on the opportunities for training and careers backstage, employers and learners can equally benefit from „Raising The Profile‟. Project Outline

At the initial stage of the Creative Way project we identified a number of areas which we wanted to address. Central to the bid there was the new Foundation degree development which would be focused on the technical aspects of productions and events. In order for this Foundation degree to be meaningful and relevant to employers and learners alike, we would conduct an investigation into areas such as: existing provision within the Thames Gateway; progression agreements with Further and Higher Education providers; the potential of work experience agreements with employers; the validity of existing advice, support and guidance. Project Outline

In addition to this we would attend and host network meetings to create and develop links with providers and employers, to ensure that the new Foundation degree would directly meet the needs of the employers and compliment existing provision within the Thames Gateway. Progression agreements would be discussed and offered not only to external FE learners in order to have the opportunity to move on to the new Foundation degree, but also potentially to our own level three cohorts wanting to move into areas which other HEIs currently offer at Higher Education level. Our aim was to collate the information found, whilst journeying through employer meetings and networking events with providers in order to provide a clear yet comprehensive information advice and guidance website designed specifically for learners within the Thames Gateway. This would offer links to other websites, employers, education and training providers in order to maximise the opportunities for progression onto Higher Education within the Technical Theatre/Production Arts sector. Project Achievements

The degree development has been the focal point of this Creative Way project with all of the other elements directly contributing to the rationale behind it and fundamentally shaping the modular content.

During the initial development phase, there were many discussions surrounding the aims of the degree.

We wanted it to have a clear validity which could be easily recognised by employers and a unique slant which would enable it to compliment the existing successful Technical Theatre/Production Arts FdA‟s and BA (Hons) programmes. Some other college/university undergraduate courses have concentrated on the design element: although some of our graduates may want to top up with a design specialism the foundation degree aim is to produce a multi skilled technician capable of working as a technical support crew member at a primary school pantomime through to a sound operator in a large scale

national venue. Foundation Degree Development

Highly informative meetings were held with course directors and key members of the teams running current Higher Education provision. These included Alison Taylor (East 15), Kathryn Sansom (University of Kent), Andrew Stead (UCA) and Julian Bryant (Rose Bruford). It became apparent that each HE provider had an individual perception of what Technical Theatre should involve. The notion of the new FdA was not to mirror any of the local Technical Theatre courses but to offer potential new students an alternative to the courses currently offered.

Of course, the essential final link to the development was the inclusion of employer consultation and from the outset we used questionnaires, feedback forums and networking opportunities, firstly to gauge perception of the need for certified qualifications and secondly, to use the information collated to shape a degree which an employer would deem worthy to the extent of signing a work experience agreement! Production for Live Performance:

This FdA is designed to equip the learner with the skills and practical experience to enter the industry as a production technician, working within the areas of lighting, sound, stage management, multimedia and general backstage technician, all with appropriate knowledge, confidence and professionalism.

Live performance encompasses a wide range of areas and production values and can include productions or elements of theatre, live music, conferences, outdoor events, exhibitions, fashion shows and dance events.

The course provides the perfect mix of theoretical and practical work facilitated by qualified lecturers and industry specialists in a balance of professional venues and teaching environments. Foundation Degree Rationale

Entry numbers will be restricted in order to ensure learners will receive more to one attention from lecturers and also give them the opportunity to gain experience, working on more productions in a wider variety of roles. There may also be the option in the future to fast-track the programme and qualify in one and a half years, allowing entry into the industry at an accelerated rate.

An integral part of the course is gaining practical professional experience by means of a flexible six week placement project, in addition to ongoing placements on productions both within and outside of the institute, which allows the learner to nurture professional contacts prior to graduation. Organised trips to professional venues provide more opportunities to gain contacts and develop a sense of the work currently being produced in the wider world of performance including theatre, live music, conferences and fashion shows. Foundation Degree Development

Working with local theatres and local events companies, consistent feedback from our employer representatives indicated that the degree had to develop learners‟ skills in flexibility and diversity:

Students need to be able to have skills they can transfer, “they need to be able to turn their hand to everything from a small conference presentation to a large festival”.

Andy Barrack Smith (Its All Done With Mirrors)

On 26th March 2009 the new Foundation Degree in Production for Live Performance was validated by the for start in 2011 with one condition, nine recommendations and seven commendations. Employer Meetings

Our employers stated that a student with a range of base skills would be more employable on a regular basis than an employee with very specialist skills and that the emphasis should be placed on processes rather than on specific pieces of equipment. With this in mind the degree was developed and modules such as „Emergent Multimedia Technologies‟ were written in close collaboration with our industry experts: “technology skills are really important - your students need to be able to use what we used to call AV skills - even small clients like local dance schools are using projected backdrops more and more”.

Andy McAnulty (AMS Lighting and Sound)

Will this degree work?

“In our industry there are still many people who, when faced with choosing between someone with field experience and someone with a paper qualification, the job would go to the person who has had the practical experience. This degree provides the perfect link - the certified qualification with the relevant field experience - I would choose this every time.”

Andy Barrack Smith (Its All Done With Mirrors) Employer Meetings

Our consultations with employers was originally focused on communications with venue representatives within our surrounding areas. However, as the project developed we searched for alternative links: local schools were contacted with the proposal of providing production teams with or without equipment who could service end of year shows, pantomimes or fêtes. These offers were, on the whole, warmly received. Using a similar proposal, links with Southend Arts Council and local NODA representatives were made, in order to further this service offer to amateur dramatic performances and arts based productions, exhibitions, festivals and events. The next stage was then to establish these proposals with formal documentation: the Employer Work Experience Agreement. Networking

Networking opportunities were also being optimised within the education and training sector: meetings were held at South Essex College and networking events attended at other Creative Way partner colleges and universities. This was an excellent opportunity to communicate directly with course directors and teams and a wealth of information was collated, specifically with regard to individual entry profiles required by individual admission tutors and specific modular content on existing courses. Comments collated from meetings held at South Essex College: “I‟m so glad we attended—this has been so useful in having the opportunity to find out through direct contact what your courses are offering and how we can work together.” Samantha Kaye (Outreach Officer, Rose Bruford College)

“The information presented to us about the Creative Apprenticeships was very useful, this was a very worthwhile event.” Robbie McGovan (Artistic Director, Miskin Theatre) Networking and Sharing Information

We found that an essential common factor concluded from our many meetings with other further and higher education providers (East 15, NWK College, Rose Bruford, University of Kent and UCA) was that quite often learner perception of what a course entails does not always match directly with the course aims or content. This varied from the programme title indicating a particular „flavour‟ of a course to specific modular content which did not match with the current available marketing material pertaining to that programme. Certain course directors understandably may also be looking for learners to possess specific qualities at point of entry and others could be successfully matched up to offer ‟top-up‟ opportunities for FdA or HND students wishing to progress to a BA Hons.

We wanted to provide an online resource where learners could access this information, and use it to assist them in making informed choices concerning their futures within the Technical Theatre/Production Arts sector. The development of our information, advice and guidance event began, supported and fuelled by the contacts established during the project lifetime. These include Tony Dobson, Lesley Ford (ROH collaborative partners) and Gabrielle Forster (ROH). In addition to this a website was created in order to give longevity and sustainability to the ethos behind the ‟Raising the Profile‟ project, which could exist beyond the timeline marked by the project deadline. As there are already a multitude of excellent IAG websites, we wanted to identify these and create links to them, with clear indication

of how this could guide the learner choice. Raising the Profile - Careers Backstage IAG Website

Websites are one of the most frequently used tools for people seeking information. Logistically our website would be a good way to maximise the dissemination of information about the backstage crafts accurately and could be efficiently hosted in order to ensure timely updating, relevance of posted material and validity of links.

We felt that the website would be highly useful as a point of reference for not only independent individuals looking for clarity of information about their choices of where, what and how to learn, but hopefully as a sustainable tool for third parties responsible for advising learners about their education and training choices throughout the Thames Gateway.

Direct hyper-links from our site to Creative Way partners, employers and technical forums such as Blue Room would also help to raise awareness of the diverse opportunities available now and in the future.

www.raisingtheprofile.co.uk

[ Screen Shot from Website during development ] Screen Shot From Website Screen Shot From Website Progression Agreements

Throughout the project and the writing of the new foundation degree we wanted to try and ensure that our learners were aware of the possibilities in HE and that other FE learners were aware of the new course we were offering. Progression agreements would be the way to start to secure these links between ourselves and other HE and FE providers.

Over twenty FE colleges and HE providers within the Thames Gateway have been approached to discuss progression agreements both from our level three provision to HE courses and also from others FE courses to our new Foundation degree. Following a number of meetings and correspondence with other providers we have received some positive responses to agreements being signed. These include East 15, , Rose Bruford, UCA (investigating progression for our FdA to their Level 6), Barking and Dagenham College, Newham Sixth Form College, Collyer‟s, Havering College, Woodhouse College, North West Kent College, Richmond Upon Thames College and Canterbury College (their level 3 Technical Theatre BND students progressing onto our FdA). Work Experience Agreements

Work Placement Agreements were a new document which we designed based upon The Creative Way‟s Progression Agreement. Our intent is to secure potential work placements for our new FdA students.

The core of foundation degrees is work based learning so with this in mind we wanted to ensure that prior to the start date we could secure our students an interview with a company or venue. Over forty companies and venues have been approached and have shown interest in the scheme. This will facilitate a wide choice for students‟ work placements and also for potential future employment. In addition to this, over eight hundred potential employers have been contacted within the Essex region with the offer to join our Performance Technical Support Scheme, which again will offer varied work experience from Halstead to Colchester and Grays to Chelmsford. This initiative offers primary and secondary schools the opportunity to use a dedicated crew who will assume responsibility for all technical aspects of a school performance or event. This system has been piloted with Porters Grange Infant and Junior School and was successful. As a result we decided to open the scheme to every primary and secondary school in Essex. Project Challenges

Throughout the project there were a number of challenges faced. The time required as project leaders was not always readily available as existing provision and personal duties still had to be respected. In addition to this our colleagues at external FE and HE providers were attempting to work under similar time constraints.

A part of our funding was secured in order to place cover into classes to release ourselves from teaching. Unfortunately in reality this was not always possible due to the nature of the teaching. With Technical Theatre/Production Arts being such a specialist subject, it was hard to find suitable cover for sessions alongside production preparations and the day to day running of the current provision. During the project there was also a shift in the teaching staff at South Essex College with the loss of one specialist member of staff. This impacted greatly on the possibility of cover as recruitment was delayed due to the college

merger. Project Challenges

Another factor which impacted on the project was the colleges‟ calendar informing on our work and timeline. Originally we had planned for our IAG event to take place in October 2009 to ensure we could disseminate information about the new foundation degree before the UCAS deadline. This event was somewhat overshadowed by South Essex College becoming a founder college for the National Skills Academy and requiring a launch event in October. The college‟s link with the NSA is a major positive attribute for Technical Theatre/Production Arts at the college as one of our main apprenticeships is in Technical Theatre. However the launch came with its own set of challenges. The launch had a major effect on our planned event as it was very apparent that HEI‟s and other invitees may not be able to take two days away from their own commitments so close together within such a tight timescale.

Communication was a major factor in this project not only between ourselves as the project team but also where our calendars were overwritten by tasks which required immediate attention. Without the ability to maintain control of our own schedules effective realisation of planning became problematic. Future Events and Sustainability

The support from the Creative Way has enabled us to develop an exiting new degree, which “if it very specifically seeks to concentrate on the notion of the „Production Technician‟, multi-skilled in lighting sound and staging technology then indeed it could be seen as a unique course designed to fill an identified gap in training opportunities.”

Peter Maccoy BA, Bsc, PGCE, Senior Lecturer Stage Management and Technical Arts-Central school of Speech and Drama.

Essential relationships have been developed with employers and colleagues from other Further and Higher Education training providers and this in turn is self perpetuating: new networking and communication opportunities continue to occur on a very regular basis. Maintaining these links is now a vital part of our agenda and by using the college‟s marketing team we intend to

nurture and develop these further.

Future Events and Sustainability

Funding for our ‟Raising the Profile‟ website has now been secured for five years which will enable regular updating and monitoring to ensure that it remains current and valid, so that new employers, potential learners and employees can use it as a reliable source for information, advice and guidance. To launch the website and to promote as many possible educational progression opportunities for Technical Theatre and Production Arts learners within the Thames Gateway, we will be hosting a large scale event at South Essex College on 29th April 2010 which will bring together employers, employees, Further and Higher Education providers and potential learners.

Guest speakers and representatives from industry and training will be present and exhibition materials including costumes, designs, box sets, realised sets, lighting displays and production artefacts will be displayed in the college atrium. Of course, we may not be able to host an event quite this size in the future, however working in collaboration with UCAS, Aim Higher and trade representatives, taster days, workshops and production master classes should continue to be a regular calendar event for us and potential learners within this sector. Apprenticeships Conclusion

As one of the twenty founder colleges for the National Skills Academy we are privileged to have secured firm links with the NSA and the future developments at Purfleet.

The development of the Creative Apprenticeships is a process we are excited about and will continue to work closely with the representative for the Creative Apprenticeships within the college.

Considering the nature of the apprenticeships, these individuals may be potential future students for the foundation degree in Production for Live Performance.

“Creative apprenticeships are an alternative route into industry and based on the good old fashioned formula of learning the job by doing the job. The college fit into this rubric by providing expertise in terms of assessment, tracking, resources, key skills and delivering the generic creative and cultural industries certificate”. Marc Mollica (Creative Apprenticeships Representative, South Essex College) Conclusion

The Creative Way funding has given us an excellent opportunity to conduct extensive research into the needs of employers and students. With this information our objectives have in some cases, been slightly revised i.e. the hosting of network meetings proved to be a time consuming commitment for external bodies which could not always be realised. The solution was, therefore, for us to visit them.

At validation of the FdA, the panel of academic members and employer representative agreed that articulation to an external level 6 would prove to be problematic owing to the unique nature of foundation degree. Their recommendation was for us to write our own BA(Hons) top-up.

As a result we have now transferred our research to investigating potential progression agreements to a demographically wider range of HEIs and to seek the signing of agreements between external level 3 courses to our FdA.

We hope to continue to expand our links with the providers we have made contact with and that the IAG event planned for April will help in „Raising the Profile‟ of backstage careers to a new generation of students.

The validation of the new foundation degree is the key aim which has been achieved and will continue on after the project finishes. Looking towards the future the foundation degree may go through changes in order that it continues to be relevant to each new year of students and therefore the skills being learnt are pertinent to employers. Acknowledgements

The Creative Way: Judy Kenney Programme Manager: Art, Design & Technical Theatre http://www.creativeway.org.uk/

It‟s All Done With Mirrors: Andy Barrack-Smith http://www.iadwm.com/

AMS Events: Andy McAnulty http://www.amsevents.co.uk/

South Essex College: Bill Kenney - Head of Faculty of Media and Creative Arts Andy Rees - Head of Higher Education & Access (Curriculum) Steve Birkin - Website Design

Contacts: Jennifer Snart: 01702 220 619 [email protected] Lulu Gunter: 01702 220 678 [email protected]

All images were used with the permission of those featured for which we would like to thank them and the photographers. Acknowledgements

Appendices

South Essex College Work Placement Agreement Scheme

PLACEMENT AGREEMENT

South Essex College Skills, Education, Careers (A) THIS AGREEMENT is made BETWEEN (1) ………………………… (the employer “receiver”) and (2) ………………………….(the “provider” institution)

(B) The parties to this Agreement have agreed that a learner’s successful completion of the qualifications set out in Schedule1 shall lead to the guarantee of an interview for a work placement, subject to the learner meeting the pre-stated selection criteria as set out in Schedule 1. All specified programmes within this Agreement are set out in Schedule 1.

(C) Within the context of this Agreement, “selection criteria” shall refer to the range of evidence of a learner’s potential capability to benefit from the guarantees set out in Section B (above). Selection criteria are as follows: C1 successful completion of units C2 other competencies – for example, practical skills as evidenced through portfolio and/or practical assessment C3 specific competencies for the named receiver C4 reflective summaries of achievements beyond that of the formal qualification – for example, Record of Achievement.

(D) Both parties agree to participate in annual monitoring to ensure that any changes which might affect t his work placement agreement (for example, changes in course structure or content) are taken account of.

We hereby agree to use our good offices to abide by this Agreement for the period from / / to / /

for and on behalf of The Receiver Employer SIGNED on / / 2010 by

for and on behalf of The Provider Institution SIGNED on / / 2010 by: SCHEDULE 1

Work Experience Placement Provider: Work Placement Details

Provider institution of learner

Feeder programmes

Specific skills qualifications (e.g. English / Maths / Numeracy / IT etc)

Specific Unit grading requirement

Requirements for guaranteed offer of interview

Requirements for guaranteed offer of place

Additional Information about the placement

Questionnaire for Employers: South Essex College are currently developing a new foundation degree program in Production for Live Performance. As a future potential employer or work experience placement for our graduates we would value your opinions about what you would want from a recent graduate.

1) Would having an accredited qualification in technical theatre make a potential employee more appealing? o Yes o No  Maybe Any Comments: ......

2) If Yes or Maybe what level of qualification: (please tick all that apply)  First Diploma (GCSE Level)  National Diploma (A-Level Level)  Foundation Degree  BA(Hons) Degree  Postgraduate Qualification 3) Would having any of the following skills or qualifications make a potential employee more appealing: (please tick all that apply)

 Programming digital lighting  Pyrotechnics Qualification desks  Risk Assessment Training  Using analogue sound desks  Practical Work Experience –  Using digital sound desks paid or unpaid  Stage Management Skills  Production Management skills  Basic Electrical Qualification  A greater understanding of  Using CAD programs theatre as an art form  Holding a current H&S Pass- o Sound Design port o Lighting Design  Counterweight Flying  Backstage Etiquette  Hemp Flying o Front of House Skills  Working at Heights Certifi-

o Other/s Please State: ___I-Path_____

4) Would a qualification validated/endorsed by the ABTT carry more weight?

 Yes o No o Maybe Please elaborate:

5) As an employer please rate the following in order of importance for a new employee: (1 Low - 10 High)

10. Ability to Time Manage 10. Problem Solving 10. Team Work 9. Diplomacy 8. ICT skills 9. Flexibility 8. Verbal Communication Skills 10. Multi-Skilled 9. Written Communication Skills 5. Knowledge of specific technical equipment

7) Would being a member of any of these organisations be important you as an employer? (please tick all that apply)

 ABTT  BECTU o ALD o Equity o Other, please state: ......

8) Please comment bellow on anything else you feel would be important:

______

______

______

______9) Would you or any of your team/department be willing to be involved in any of the following:

 Work placements  Degree development  Guest lecturers  Attending gatherings for Technical Theatre specialists in the area

Organisation: _AMS Events______

Name: __Andy McAnulty______

Email: __Removed for Data Protection______

Phone: _ Removed for Data Protection______

Fax: ______

(Please highlight the best method for us to contact you in the future)

Please find enclosed some information about the Technical course we are planning on running from September 2010. Thank you for your assistance we hope we will be able to work together in the future.

Jennifer Snart Course Team Leader Technical Theatre Faculty of Media and Creative Arts South Essex College Luker Road Southend on Sea Essex SS1 1ND [email protected] T: 01702 220400 www.southend.ac.uk

Project Report: March 2010