The ALPD and Chichester Festival Theatre host a symposium on Technical Youth Theatre

The Association of Lighting Production and Design (the ALPD) and Chichester Festival Theatre will be hosting Technical Youth Theatre Symposium in the Linbury Studio at The Royal Opera House on Tuesday 24^th February 2pm – 4pm.

The ALPD are actively seeking ways to encourage young people into our industry. They will be sharing Chichester Festival Theatre’s Technical Youth Theatre model: how it came about, its financing and how it runs today after commencing weekly sessions in 2008. CFT will also present their recent Social Impact Report alongside their Alumni Report which demonstrate the benefit of the programme. The ALPD became aware of CFT’s tech youth theatre through a member’s experience: freelancers have the ability to be conduits between organisations, and the aim of the symposium is to start a dialogue to share progressive models.

Currently the industry is facing a skills shortage, there is a need to strengthen our technical workforces in ALL the backstage areas. Schemes such as CFT nurture home grown talent allowing a young person to forge a pathway from technical youth theatre through to employment. ALPD know there are many wonderful schemes across the country and they see this as an opportunity to start a much-needed dialogue between organisations.

The symposium will be led by Johanna Town – freelance lighting designer and Chair of the ALPD, Sally Garner-Gibbons – Apprenticeships Manager and Technical Youth Theatre Co-ordinator at CFT and Emma Chapman, Freelance lighting designer and co-author of Theatre Lighting Design Conversations on the Art, Craft and Life.  Past alumni of the Chichester will be in attendance to share their journeys.

Following the presentations there will be an active round table discussion to collate ideas, form partnerships and address challenges.

Interested theatre and youth leaders can register for this free event at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1980879871018?aff=oddtdtcreator