Staying linked in

Imagine being a technical apprentice back in March, halfway through your training, when lockdown brought UK theatres to a standstill. Even if you were lucky enough to be furloughed, there were the additional problems – which still remain for many – of how to advance your career prospects and how to stay positive.

Many were let go by theatres and technical departments because there was nothing for them to do, and their salaries were a drain on dwindling resources.

For Bryan Raven, founder-director of White Light, the leading theatre lighting company, it was a simple matter of economics. ‘Our warehouse staffhas been reduced from 85 to 25, so we had to lose all but two of our apprentices because they were on full pay. Also, while you may not be paying a lot for the apprentices’ labour, you're expecting full-time, more expensive members of staffto spend time supervising them.’