Lighting&Sound America Online - News: USITT, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, offers free inspections and stage crew safety training through its Rigging Safety Initiative.
The program, launched in 2011 with a $25,000 donation from J.R. Clancy, invites applications from schools twice a year, in spring and fall. So far, USITT has approved free stage rigging inspections and training for 52 schools in 21 states.
6 comments:
This has to be one of the most important USITT initiatives that I am aware of. The fact that high school auditoriums aren't held to federal safety requirements is pretty insane, so it's wonderful that USITT has recognized there is a need for training at the high school level, both for faculty and students. Safety is important in any theater, but it is especially important when working in a theater that is operated, in some respects, by high school students. Inexperienced students may not even recognize the potential hazards around them, as well as what could go wrong if they operate a system incorrectly or if that system hasn't been maintained by their teachers or other school administrators. I can't imagine why any high school wouldn't jump at the chance to have this free inspection done. The rigging system and protocols at Arapahoe High School are bound to be much more safe and well maintained for years to come now, all due to this free inspection and training. I truly appreciate that USITT wants to educate young technicians in safe practices; the money spent by USITT to provide these inspections and trainings is surely money well spent. Any student involved in these trainings will gain a better appreciation and awareness of rigging safety, and will bring that knowledge with them as they move on to college and, eventually, enter the field professionally.
This is a great initiative that USITT has. It ensures safety within high schools and amongst the students who will be the future in theatre. This also plants the importance of safety in them from early which would in turn influence how they work in the future. The stage crew safety training is also an additional plus. I wonder how in-depth the training is. I wonder if it is just a day course or maybe a week. Nevertheless it is a good initiative.
Looking back at my old high school, we didn't have any sort of rigging or fly rail system available to us. It wasn't from lack of resources either. It was mainly from a lack of knowledge. My department head as well as the faculty member who was responsible for the design and build bot lacked the knowledge, and didn't have enough resources to help them get educated in this process. Knowing that USITT is helping schools not only be better educated in safety and practices, but have the opportunity to do some really cool things on stage.
I always forward this article on to people I know that work in high school theaters! I think that you if you dont apply for this you are just plain silly. For schools that might not be privately run or have a running system in place this can be a lifesaver. It hear all the time after this comes out how much it benefits high school theatres, especially public schools. This is a great program that can not only help administers and theatre managers, but also high schoolers learn about safety and the importance of maintenance.
Wow, this is a program that I wasn't aware of until I read this article, and I hope that all high school theatres that hear about it take advantage of it. Looking back oh so long ago to my high school, our fly system was INCREDIBLY dangerous. We didn't use it often, and we had a faculty member who knew how to do it whenever we had to use it, but I guess I never realized how under the radar some high school systems can be. I think it's very important that all theatres, high schools included, meet the necessary safety standards and make sure that everyone operating a system has been trained well.
I think that this is a fantastic idea! There are many high schools that have really old theaters that have now become unsafe, but don't realize how unsafe they actually are. By having free inspections this will not only improve the safety of high school theaters, but theaters all over the US. In addition, this will allow students working in theater to learn about all of the safety precautions that go into putting on any given production.
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