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ETC Shows Commitment to Education
ETC has long supported education through various projects and initiatives, encouraging young talent in the industry and mentoring students who will be future leaders in the lighting field. Together with London's Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD), ETC recently gave students a chance to undertake a comprehensive training programme with the aim of giving them a unique view of entertainment technology, from the perspective of the manufacturer right through to the spectator.
The training was carried out by ETC's Luke Delwiche and saw students undertake responsibilities including redesigning, upgrading and reinstalling the rig in the 'theatre style' training room - affectionately known as The Playhouse at Gypsy Corner - where staff, dealers and distributors learn about the workings of ETC lighting products. The 150W HID lamps were replaced with more environmentally friendly 70W HID lamps and the students serviced all the luminaires on the rig with help from Martin Professional. In addition, they also completed training on the Eos, Ion, Congo and SmartFade lighting control desks.
Luke says: "This is the first time we've offered a student training programme like this in the UK. Since we moved to this building in 2006, we've been continually adding lights to the rig; as a result, everything needed checking and servicing. So it's something both the students and ETC have benefited from."
The upgrade came as a result of ETC enhancing its training programmes - with regular sessions on a weekly basis. Ten Martin MAC 250s were added to the rig to make the training more comprehensive. Luke continues: "We didn't just want ETC lights in the rig as this doesn't give trainees a realistic picture. We wanted a more complete rig, but we also want to be more sustainable - although we have increased the number of luminaires, there is more discharge and less tungsten. It's great to collaborate with Martin Professional - they have loaned us their lights and their expertise, and obviously it is good for the students to get to know their products as well as ETC's."
Aspiring lighting designers Dan Hill and Fridthjofur Thorsteinsson were very positive about the level of training they received. Dan explains: "The training went beyond just a basic demonstration and provided us with in-depth, hands-on instruction, helping us to learn terminology and giving us a holistic perspective on all that lighting involves. This is such a great opportunity for students and the knowledge and experience you take away is invaluable."
Fridthjofur, who has worked at the National Theatre of Iceland, The Reykjavik City Theatre and the Iceland Dance Company, added: "The training facility at ETC is like no other I have ever been to. This elegant Victorian theatre packed with an audience is unique and realistic and really depicts ETC lighting in its natural habitat - it's a totally different experience.
ETC leads in the control system spectrum, so we are learning from the best and we were treated like equals. Learning all about greening issues now, will help us build it into our work ethic so it becomes something we do in our everyday work. I would love to come back next year and would definitely recommend the training to other students. It feels less like learning and more like working."
Over the years, ETC has developed many initiatives to enthuse and support students including its popular LDI Student Sponsorship program. ETC has always been committed to supporting the education and development of students in the technical production and design of the performing arts and works closely with many art colleges such as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Rose Bruford College and The Brit School. Its dedication to education also translates into free regular training for students and they are also invited to work on the ETC stand at various trade shows, including at PLASA, where Dan and Fridthjofur were joined by James Bentley, Jenny Kershaw, Lewis Smith and Paul Green. With years of dedication to education, ETC shows no signs of slowing down.
In picture: students upgrade the rig at ETC's Playhouse at Gypsy Corner in London.
8th December 2008
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