Sound and lighting course for young people

Running over the half-term holidays (February 11th to 15th) at the Youth Arts Youth Centre in Kensington Road, Douglas, the course will give young people insight into setting up and operating sound and lighting equipment for events. Participants will see behind the scenes at the Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre as part of the course. They will build a portfolio which, upon successful completion, leads to a level one Open Awards Sound and Lighting Technician certification.

Martin Macfarlane, tutor, said:

'This is an amazing opportunity for young people to gain a qualification in a specialist area that is otherwise unavailable locally. One great benefit of the Open Awards is the flexibility we have to adapt for the particular needs of our learners while still being recognised within the Qualification and Credit Framework.

'After completing the course, young people will have the opportunity to use their new-found skill as part of the Youth Service's technical team, which operates sound and lighting equipment for live events.

'Over the past two years, graduates have assisted with community-based events all over the Island. Some of have taken on paid casual work as part of the Villa Marina’s technical crew and are heading to university to study and work full-time in the industry. Others are helping with school productions and local theatre groups,’ said Martin. ‘This is a great method of getting young people actively involved with performing arts in a challenging, yet rewarding, position. Young people grow in confidence while developing life skills in areas such as timekeeping, teamwork and responsibility.'

Martin and fellow tutor Paul Ellison will lead the course. Learners must be able to attend Monday to Friday, 11th to 15th February, from 10am till 4pm and be aged 13 to 19. A fee of £35 covers course materials and registration. For further information or to register, contact the Youth Office on 01624 686057 or email m.macfarlane@doe.sch.im

Ken Callister, Principal Youth Officer with the Department of Education and Children, said:

'This is a fantastic opportunity to learn something new and gain a portable qualification that can be added to your CV that will demonstrate to any potential employer intelligence, commitment and flexibility.'