Pupils from Murray Park School and Holgate School in Nottingham have visited Capital FM Arena to find out about the wide range of jobs available behind the scenes in technical theatre and live music.

The event was run in partnership with New College Nottingham (ncn) and the Arena as part of the National Skills Academy (NSA) for Creative & Cultural ‘Offstage Choices’ programme.

Now in its third year, this national ‘offstage’ careers project offers young people aged 13 to 16 the opportunity to experience working outside the spotlight. Currently, there is a predicted need for 30,000 skilled backstage workers by 2017, so the choices these young people make may lead them to careers that are not simply enjoyable, but also stable and long-term.

During the trip pupils experienced how the Bryan Adams show production crew load in the rigging, sound and lighting for a performance, and gained an overview of event management, production, and marketing through workshops and practical exercises. 

In the afternoon pupils visited ncn Clarendon to take part in hands-on sessions including how to mic up a drum kit and create effective theatrical lighting for a live music event. They also worked alongside ncn technical theatre students to get a feel for the role of a sound engineer.