At North Hertfordshire College, we’re all about helping our learners gain the skills and experience to open doors to their dream careers. We’re always thrilled to see students achieve their dreams – and it’s even more exciting when they come back to our campuses to help the next generation achieve their own dreams, too! A great example is Holly, a former Performance & Production Arts student at NHC, who invited Level 3 learner Rose to shadow her in her role as a Stage Manager.
Holly’s interest in stage management was sparked during her time at the College, where she attended a series of workshops centred around backstage theatre work. Her tutors supported her in developing her skills and experience to achieve her goals, including creating opportunities to manage end-of-year productions, and she has kept in contact with them ever since. When Head of Creative Arts Briony mentioned that current Level 3 learner Rose was interested in a similar career, Holly saw the perfect opportunity to give back to the next generation of theatre professionals.
Rose was invited to shadow Holly at the Hawthorne Theatre over the Christmas period. This exclusive opportunity allowed Rose to see first-hand what it’s like to manage a performance. During her placement over five shows, Rose got stuck straight in, calling the first act and operating sound for the second act – all whilst independently working the lighting deck across both acts!
Holly told us: “We really did throw Rose in at the deep end, but I hope she had a great time and that the experience has helped her feel even more excited about a career in stage management.
“I feel really grateful and proud that I’m in a position to offer experience to a student who wants to make it into Stage Management. Backstage theatre roles are not often advertised enough as a career path – it wasn’t until I joined my NHC course that I found out about them from my tutors. To be able to educate a student about the job that I love, and that doesn’t get enough recognition, is just great. It’s exciting to see someone go on the same journey I did four years ago, and that really helped me to give her the best showcase I could with the time she was with us, as my thought process was to get her involved in the things that I would have wanted in her position.
“To be in the position to give Rose her first opportunity in a working theatre on a professional show a year and a half after finishing drama school, and four years after being at NHC myself, is so exciting. It was just lovely to meet someone so passionate about Backstage Theatre in the early part of her journey. Being part of that journey for Rose, being trusted by the Creative Arts and NHC team to introduce Rose into this world, is something I am really grateful for – I can’t wait to see where she ends up! I feel like a proud mum!”
Rose thoroughly enjoyed her experience at the theatre. She commented: “Everyone was very welcoming. I learnt a lot and got my first experience of backstage work in a professional setting, as well as experience for my CV working with lighting, sound, and show calling.”
Thank you to Holly for helping to Give a Future to our learners!
Could your organisation help the next generation learn more about career pathways in your sector? Visit North Hertfordshire College’s Give a Future page to find out how you can get involved in shaping their skills and igniting their imaginations – we look forward to hearing from you!