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The first event to be produced and managed by participants in the groundbreaking Young Programmers scheme at Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, has gone on sale at the Dorset venue.
The Study Break, a multi-media live music show, has been programmed, promoted, equipped, staged and managed by young people aged 14-30 as the culmination of a series of four-month courses that make up Young Programmers, a key element of Lighthouse’s learning and participation programme.
Aimed at schools, young people, artists and all others interested in gaining creative industry experience, Young Programmers offers the opportunity for training and learning in areas such as music programming, technical work, writing and reviewing.
“As a cultural leader Lighthouse is dedicatedtoinspiring the next generation to experience every aspect of the arts and Young Programmers enables us to engage much more directly with the schools and communities we serve,” says Sara St George, Head of Sales and Marketing for Lighthouse. “The take-up has surpassed all expectations and we are indebted for its success to our generous supporters who ensure we continue to provide new and exciting creative opportunities such as this.”
Young Programmer Maddie Thorp adds: “I applied for the scheme because I have always been interested in performing and I wanted an opportunity to learn about other sides of the industry.”
Young Technician Alexander Wadman comments: “I think the course has been really good and I have enjoyed learning all about sound and stage lighting. I think it is a great achievement of all the students to be able to help with an actual show.”
The Young Programmers courses have been running since January:
– Young Music Programmers: Learning how music events are programmed, marketed and managed at Lighthouse and elsewhere, culminating in The Study Break.
– Young Writers: Working with professional writers to write reviews, factual articles, blogs, monologues, dialogue, short stories, poems and scripts for stage, TV and radio.
– Young Reviewers: Professionals including Donald Hutera of The Times and Susan Elkin from The Stage have been sharing their experiences as professional critics. Each session focuses on a show at Lighthouse which participants review before gaining feedback from their mentors.
– Young Technicians: Working alongside and shadowing the talented in-house technicians at Lighthouse, participants are gaining practical experience of lighting, sound and stage production for a range of theatre, concerts, cinema and live events. They will be taking on the technical production of The Study Break, including lighting design.
The Study Break is open to all ages but has been conceived as an event for students that are currently studying hard for exams. Emerging Americana band New Desert Blues headline with support from youthful sibling trio EMMAY and the Concert Hall at Lighthouse will be transformed with projections and original artwork. Keen to include as many of their school friends as possible in the project, the Young Programmers are also selecting music by their peers to be showcased between live acts.
“Lighthouse is a fantastic resource centre for the community and the wider region,” says Emma Bovey, Lighthouse Events Manager. “It is amazing to see young people utilising those resources with such enthusiasm and taking this unprecedented opportunity for learning to gain hands-on knowledge of how an arts organisation works.”
