An Essex Supported Employment Service teamed up with a Southend theatre last week to host an experience day to showcase the employment opportunities available in the performing arts sector.
ECL Supported Employment and Cliffs Pavilion joined forces to offer an experience day for employment candidates with learning disabilities and/or autism.
The theatre can be a fantastic place for people with learning disabilities, autism and other forms of neurodiversity. It often provides a safe environment for individuals to explore communication and emotion without the pressure of real-life social expectations.
Many neurodivergent people bring remarkable natural talents to theatre work, including the ability to focus, absorb detail, remember lines, and innovative visual or spatial thinking.
Most importantly, the performing arts celebrate individuality; different ways of thinking aren’t seen as obstacles, they’re seen as a source of originality and creativity.
Emma Wagstaff, Creative Learning Manager at Southend Theatres treated the ECL candidates to a guide tour of the venue talking them through the behind the scenes processes involved in putting on a show, and outlining the range of skills and job roles required.
During the visit candidates got to experience all of the departments within Cliffs Pavilion from front of house, backstage and the audio and lighting control room, as well as the restaurant and the marketing department.
Emma Wagstaff said: “We regularly offer work experience days to local education providers, but this was our first for a career support provider. The aim of these days is to provide an insight into all of the departments that work together to ensure the successful running of our venues each day. It was a great opportunity to meet so many people keen to get involved with our venues, and the theatre industry as a whole.”
Candidates were given practical tasks within each area to truly get a taste for the skills needed to work in them. These included a marketing task to emphasise the importance of promotion in a shows success and menu and an allergen awareness task in the restaurant.
Abbey Meach, ECL Inclusive Employment Job Broker said: “It was a fantastic day for our customers that facilitated lots of positive conversations about job opportunities. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team at Southend Theatre for hosting us.
“Days like this are so important for the people that use our supported employment services as not only do they showcase the variety of job roles out there, but they also demonstrate that you can turn a passion or a hobby into a career with the right transferable skills.”
This was especially true for Mikey, who as a result of the taster day, plans to apply for one of the theatres current vacancies.
Mikey, aged 35, is passionate about theatre, and hopes to pursue a career in prop making. He welcomed the opportunity to discuss the different job roles in the props and wardrobe teams. The team told him about their current vacancy for a part-time backstage team member which Mikey is now keen to apply for.
He said: “It was great to see all the other aspects that go into running a theatre. It was really interesting to go backstage and learn about the catwalks above the stage. I’d love to be one of the guys up there moving stuff around!
“I like what we talked about today and I’d love to see if I can do anything more to do with props as that is my hobby. I am thinking about applying for the casual back stage team member vacancy. It will be a good way of me getting in touch with other people and progressing into a prop maker role. Thank you so much for today. It has been so good!”
Find out more about ECL’s Inclusive Employment Service
If you are a local business that is interested in becoming an inclusive employer please contact ECL by emailing inclusive.employment@essexcares.org