insideKENT Magazine Issue 25 - April 2014 | Page 19

EDUCATION
L-R Zoe Briggs, John Young, Karen Townsend

ATG’s technical
apprenticeship programme
wins top industry award
A GROUNDBREAKING TECHNICAL APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAMME LAUNCHED BY THE AMBASSADOR
THEATRE GROUP (ATG) LAST YEAR HAS WON THE
AWARD FOR BEST COLLABORATION BETWEEN
INDUSTRY AND EDUCATION AT THIS YEAR’S
CREATIVE AND CULTURAL SKILLS CONFERENCE.

The award was collected at the March ceremony,
held at the Backstage Centre, High House
Production Park in Purfleet, by representatives
from ATG including John Young, Zoe Briggs and
Karen Townsend.
Developed in partnership with North Hertfordshire
College, White Light Ltd, Fairfield Halls and the
Association of British Theatre Technicians, and
supported by the Creative Employment
Programme with Arts Council England Lottery
funding, ATG’s Technical Apprenticeship
Programme began in September 2013, with four
apprentices currently employed until August 2014.
Each apprentice theatre technician is based at
one of ATG’s renowned regional receiving houses,

including Kent's Churchill Theatre in Bromley.
The current apprentice in Bromley is 19-year-old
Daniel Stickings.
Apprentices are benefitting from training and
work experience with ATG and the partner
organisations, reflecting industry practice in the
comprehensive partnership working that already
exists in this field. They also have access to the
most up-to-date equipment and techniques not
available in colleges or universities.
Throughout the year, they will gain the EDI Level
2 Certificate in Technical Theatre Support, and
the assessment criteria for this qualification will
form the backbone of practical assessment, to
be woven throughout the full programme.

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Ed Brimley, technical manager at The Churchill
Theatre, Bromley, said: “This is a great
achievement for The Churchill Theatre and is
great recognition of the work that the technical
teams do in our venues. The industry needs new
blood and this is a great way of creating good
technicians from the ground up. As one of the
pilot venues we all feel engaged with this initiative
and look forward to its continuing success in the
years to come.”

www.atgtickets.com/bromley