We are delighted to announce the launch of our Doorstep pilot phase of the ‘Make it Happen Crew’.
This team of young technicians, producers, events managers, stage managers, backstage crew, operators and designers are starting to take a lead on a number of small pilot initiatives across this Summer Term. Kay, Ami, Terry, & Bertie have been such a skilled and fantastic team to work with across the training phase over the past month, bringing lots of their expertise and know-how to the sessions. It’s felt like a process of mutual exchange, and we’ve loved stepping into this new chapter of working together with them!
Using the Doorstep touring rig, the crew will be providing agile small-scale tech support for a series of events, including a collaboration with Villages in Action, who are supporting this work. We also hope that they can provide technical support for some end-of-term Doorstep performances and of course they will be the crew for Chitty and Hushabye on the mainstage in August too. It’s going to be a busy summer for the technical team!
Across May and June, we’ve hosted 3 initial training & exchange sessions with the Doorstep touring rig, as well as signposting to some extension shadowing opportunities at the Palace Theatre. It’s been fab to get time to experiment, use the ETC Nomad software, build cues in Qlab, and to do so without the full pressure of an imminent event. It’s so rare for a tech team to get this kind of time to experiment and practice with kit outside of a specific time-limited performance day. The ETC Nomad gadget connects to a laptop, so we’re able to programme and operate using a laptop – agile, easy, and quick for small-scale touring and the myriad of non-traditional theatre spaces that Doorstep uses regularly.
We’ve loved learning new things from each other – there is so much experience and know-how with this crew of people, and really complementary strengths and areas of specialism. It’s been a delight to get time to practice, play, grow new skills, ask each other questions, and teach across the group.
Most recently, the older members of the crew (those aged 18+) were able to do a dry run practice get-in at Paignton Library, which provided a valuable opportunity to prepare for the upcoming library performance events in July & Sept.
Big thanks to the fab team at Paignton Library for letting us come and set up for a practice run in their space on a random Thursday afternoon in June. We illuminated the children’s books section with lots of LED light colours and played a practice playlist on Qlab. It was such a useful chance to test out the logistics of transport, packing the car, and precise realistic timings of get-in and get-out ahead of upcoming touring events.
If you know of a young person who might be interested in getting involved with this programme or this crew, just email Erin – erin@doorsteparts.co.uk.