WAAPA students with alumni actor Hugh Jackman. Image courtesy of WAAPA.
The action is offstage as well as on at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts(WAAPA).
In addition to teaching performance skills, WAAPA takes students behind the curtain, offering production and design programs to prepare students in a range of interpretive and technical theatre disciplines, through teaching methods designed to recognise and refine skills in costume, design, lighting, props and scenery, costume, stage management and sound.
In 2015, WAAPA is adding a Advanced Diploma of Live Production and Management Services to its course options.
Associate Head of School for Production and Design at WAAPA Leisa Landre-Ord said that the courses are taught through practice based learning, grounded in ‘on the job’ theatrical experience.
‘Hands-on training is when you really get your real training in the venues, they are the really important parts of the journey,’ said Landre-Ord.
‘Simply from day one the students are on the job. We have classes in the morning and in the afternoon they go into the venues. They go into rehearsal, they actually start putting on plays from the first minute they walk into WAAPA.’
Students are enabled access to all production development, construction and staging processes associated with industry practice.The students learn simulated industry training in the design, construction and management, being involved with WAAPA’s year-long season of drama, music theatre, dance, opera, films and jazz, classical and contemporary music concerts, utilising seven diverse performance venues.
Working directly with WAAPA’s other faculties and disciplines, students studying stage management are able to develop collaborative skills.
‘They’re integrating with all the other departments so they learn how everybody works together as a team, so they don’t have to learn that when they go out to the industry, they fundamentally learn that. They know the processes of best industry practice. They understand the complexity of putting a show on and following a schedule,’ said Landre-Ord.
Landre-Ord said applying students do not have to have prior theatre experience but have to be dedicated to learning and to team work.
‘You most definitely have to be self-motivated and you have to have a passion for theatre because it’s a lifestyle. You don’t just go and do the job and have another life. It is your life. All the students that come here are extremely passionate and dedicated so they’re not in a hurry to leave at the end of the day,’ said Landre-Ord.
Advanced Diploma of Live Production and Management Services
Applications open
To apply and for more information visit WAAPA.
