At the recent USITT conference in Louisville, KY, I was (as always) taken with the effervescent energy and enthusiasm of the thousands of students who attend. Sometimes piling eight or ten into a mini van and sleeping on sofas or floors just to be there. So I got to thinking about all these eager beavers and wonder how they all find their way into the industry after they graduate. There are myriad ways to get started, and if I were a student, I’d apply today! Here are just a few, including our own Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarships.
Wingspace Mentorship Program
A free, one-year professional development program which seeks out talented and passionate young artists with limited access to traditional professional networks and resources. Mentorships are offered in direction, scenic design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, and projection design. One candidate will be accepted in each category. With access to 50 Wingspace members working across many different milieus, this mentorship offers a broad range of possibilities. The exact shape of the experience will be tailored to the needs of the accepted applicants. The upcoming deadline is April 7, 2019.
PRG Internship
An internship with PRG may encompass any or all aspects of event production including lighting, audio, video, scenic, finance, business and production management, or corporate
operations. Generally, it is three months in the summer, but can be longer or at another time. It is preferred, but not required, that applicants be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program, have recently received a degree in theater technology or a related program, or have a combination of education and experience appropriate to professional/technical development in technical theater or entertainment technology. Most importantly, applicants should be willing to learn and ready to work hard as a team player.
Warner Media (Warner Bros, HBO, Turner)
Internships with one of the Warner Media divisions will not only provide valuable experience in media and entertainment, but also an opportunity to develop key skills and build a network while learning and having fun within businesses at the top of their industries. Various internship programs are offered across their divisions.
4Wall
4 Wall Entertainment offers both summer internships and a range of job openings at their various locations across the country.
Disney
Check out the Disney websites for various jobs and internship opportunities. They also offer an Entertainment Show Production Class, which looks really cool.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil offers internships in various technical and stage management fields. At this time, they are only offering internships for their Resident Shows Division in Las Vegas.
For an internship at their International Headquarters in Montreal, please send your request to [email protected] with your résumé, and they will keep your information for a period of three months in case an opening comes up in that time. They also have full-time jobs, so you can literally run away with the circus!
Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarships
To encourage diversity in the live event design community, LDI, in partnership with TSDCA and USITT, has announced three $5,000 Pat MacKay Scholarships for undergraduate students. This scholarship is to support the underrepresented and unique voices in the field of entertainment. These scholarships are funded by LDI/Live Design International, and named for Pat MacKay, formerly publisher of Theatre Crafts and Lighting Dimensions magazines and founder of the LDI Trade Show and Conference. She is a USITT Fellow and has served as a mentor for multiple generations of industry professionals. Students enrolled in lighting, digital media, and sound design programs on an undergraduate level, as well as high school seniors who have been accepted to an undergraduate college or university design program, are eligible to apply online between April 15 and May 15.