Arts Centre Melbourne

Project Tech Connect: investing in the technical capacity, safety and capability of Victorian regional arts centres

Amount $60,000 over two years

Date 2018

Program Past Programs | Arts and Culture

TRUST OBJECTIVES PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Rural and regional Victoria Specialist training for local regional production crews invests in the capacity of regional venues
Reducing inequality Increased training opportunities for regional production staff, more touring opportunities for artists and more cultural activity for regional communities
Enabling financial sustainability Suitably trained, safety-compliant production staff will enable regional venues to attract and stage a wider range of productions
Building organisational capacity Regional training hubs will collectively service a total of 33 Victorian performing arts venues
Collaboration and partnership This project is delivered in partnership with Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres (VAPAC) and Creative Victoria, along with local councils and the regional performing arts centres

Image A techie's view from the stage of the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo: Mark Gambino

Tech Connect addresses a chronic under-supply of industry-relevant training in regional Victoria by establishing four regional training hubs. Each hub will accommodate an estimated 200 regional production crew members over a 12-week period working with Art Centre Melbourne’s (ACM) highly-skilled technical staff. The final site of each hub will be established via a consultative process that forms part of this project.

Arts Centre Melbourne’s RTO Services deliver leading professional development and certified training, which is central to the industry’s ability to deliver the skill sets needed across performing arts venues. Tech Connect will ensure that regional venues across Victoria are able to meet the needs of venue hirers, local theatre companies and touring productions, and expand the range of cultural activities in their regions.

Snapshot:

The four regional training hubs will deliver:

  • WorkSafe accredited Entertainment Industry Safety Training (white card certification);
  • Integrated Arts Wellbeing Collective training, building personal resilience and a help-seeking culture;
  • Reciprocal trainee exchanges with ACM to enable trainees from regional centres to gain experience across a variety of venues;
  • Paid attendance for 24 venue-nominated technicians to complete Certificate III in Live Production and Services at ACM;
  • One-on-one specialised mentoring in the participants’ regional home venues, with mentor/protégé arrangements brokered by ACM and participating venues, aligned to the specific professional development needs of each participant and unique requirements of each venue
  • Graduation ceremonies for family, friends and local arts communities;

artscentremelbourne.com.au