Education is important to every society and in every industry. From the outside, show business might seem like a magical land of make believe, but to us it's how we live our lives and make our living. Across the pond in the U.K., our systems of industry education look quite different that those in the U.S. Historically, we have relied on a few well-trodden paths and a hell of a lot of on-the-job-experience, but we are at a point where we need to consider our future. So, what does education in the U.K. production industry look like and what should it be in the years ahead?
Higher Education Funding
Questions of higher level education are particularly prominent in the U.K. at the moment. Our government is faced with having to make savings in straitened times, and how our further and higher education system is funded is a cause of much debate. The future direction of our universities and other establishments is very much pegged to the result of all this deliberation and the jury is still out.
Questions are asked about how we should equip our younger generations for the kind of work economy for the decades to come. Should we really aspire to a large percentage of graduates in our economy? Does having a degree mean that you are more employable, or that the U.K. can better compete in a global economy? Can graduates expect better pay and work prospects as a right?
Alongside these generalized debates, the production industry is asking the question: "Who do we need to encourage into our business, and how should they be educated?"
Certainly we need structured education more than any time in the past. Just hanging out on a few gigs and picking it up as you go along is not going to work in this fast-moving technological age. In order to fill these highly-technical jobs, we are competing with other tech industries such as the IT sector. But right now, our pay and conditions ain't all that, for all the supposed glamour of show business.
Choosing An Education Path
Currently, there are a multitude of paths for an aspiring entertainment professional to choose from when it comes to furthering knowledge and securing that first job. And now we are asking them to pay more to walk that path with the prospect of a pretty average salary, mind blowing hours and questionable security at the end of it.
The "traditional" drama schools such the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (oldvic.ac.uk – my alma mater) and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (rada.ac.uk) now provide fully accredited foundation or degree courses alongside their proven track record for professional training, particularly in the theatre side of the industry.
Other establishments have arrived on the scene to provide high quality general theatre production courses, including my current employer, Bath Spa University (bathspampa.com). Add to this a number of further education opportunities, more specialized courses in areas such as lighting design or lighting programming, not to mention a number of employer and industry body training programs and equipment-specific learning and it's easy to see that there has surely never been so much choice.
Are we heading in the right direction? Who will decide on the future of entertainment industry education? Can we learn anything from you people over in the U.S.?
As with any market, demand is driven by consumers, be they employers or prospective students. That is happening right now.
It would seem at first glance that the rapid emergence of specialist courses in the U.K. such as Live Event Technology is driven by student demand, not industry need. After all, who wouldn't fancy spending three years playing with moving lights and media servers and come out with letters after your name? If you get enough people wanting to do that, then a course is born. Is there industry capacity over here for all these moving light programmers? That's another story…
It's attractive to think that, once you've completed your Lighting Design BA (Hons) course, you will arrive in the industry waving a piece of paper to find that Patrick Woodroffe (patrickwoodroffe.co.uk) has a cold and your services are required. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened like that up until now, I'll bet that it won't any time soon.
What Do Employers Want?
Research at On Stage Lighting (onstagelighting.co.uk) suggests that certificates only went so far when it came to getting into our business. They were, in general, most interested in some proven track record or a demonstration of a candidate's commitment to their work. They were happy to train people as they needed too, perhaps building on their skills to specialize them in areas that were in demand.
This was discussed at a recent seminar at PLASA 2010, where industry and unions talked about their need for accredited entertainment technicians, trained to a quantifiable standard – similar to the ETCP in the U.S.. In the U.K., we have yet to really formalize such a program although we now have accredited training such as the PLASA National Rigging Certificate.
At that seminar, one employer said that, from their perspective, our young people were "over-qualified and under-skilled." He may have had a point, but the flip side is letting education for the sake of it fall by the wayside in the interests of the market. Do we want that?
If employers are going to ultimately foot the training bill in the workplace, will they want to take on graduates who expect higher starting salaries?
The Answer?
Perhaps the answer is a balance between post graduate education, on-the-job training and accredited vocational programs. Perhaps we need to pick a lane. But I'm pretty sure that we need a clearer vision than perhaps we have at the moment.
One thing I am clear about is that education in our business has to be about the realities of the industry, however and wherever it is taught. This means that our young people would do well to check the industry credentials of those who will be teaching them as much as the facilities or the number of books in the library.
I also still believe that, at the undergraduate level, a general education in all disciplines in our business gives you the best grounding for a successful career. You wanna be an LD? Go take a stage management module and learn about organization and people skills.
Students also should know that regardless of the piece of paper with which they emerge, there are no shortcuts to show experience, and they'll likely start right back at the base of the mountain.
Hopefully, they'll at least be equipped to make good climbing progress.
Rob Sayer is a former freelance lighting designer and programmer with more than 20 years of experience. He is currently a lecturer in Theatre Production at Bath Spa University where he leads modules in lighting, sound and audio visual as well as professionalization for final year students. He is also editor of On Stage Lighting (onstagelighting.co.uk).
