ATG, the UK's largest theatre owner and operator, will welcome four new young employees to its theatres on 2 September as part of its technical apprenticeship programme, supported by the Creative Employment Programme with Arts Council England Lottery funding.
Each apprentice theatre technician will work for ATG for a year, based at one of ATG's regional presenting houses. Alex Hawkens, Marianne Nightingale, Tamykha Patterson and Daniel Stickland will join the technical teams at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, Richmond Theatre, The New Wimbledon Theatre, and the Churchill Theatre in Bromley respectively.
Zoe Briggs, Learning Partnerships Manager for ATG, said, "We look forward to welcoming Alex, Marianne, Tamykha and Daniel to the company. Many of our staff will be involved in training, mentoring and working withh our new apprentices, and we are excited to pilot the programme in 2013 and 2014"
John Young, Head of Technical Services, said, "Technical apprenticeships mark an important change in our recreuitment process. We need to address a growing skills gap in the technical sector of our industry, with new recruits possessing the right skills.
"There can be no better way of developing dedicated technical staff at entry level than by creating a learning culture—passing on the essential skills we require as an employer."
The programme has been developed in partnership with North Hertfordshire College, White Light Ltd and the Association of British Theatre Technicians. Apprentices will benefit from trainng and work exerience with the partner organisations as well as with ATG, reflecting industry practice in the comprehensive partnership working that already exists in this field.
Nick Pottter, Managing Director (Venues) for ATG, said, "We are delighted to be leading the industry in bringing back apprenticeships to the heart of the theatre business. This will provide great opportunities for future employees to benefit from practical, live learning, and gaining knowledge from our experienced technical team."