Music Learners Manage Main Stage at Watchet Festival!
Learners studying Creative & Digital Media and Music recently had the unique opportunity to manage the main stage at Watchet Festival! The incredible crew got the opportunity to support and assist world-renowned acts like the Fratellis, best known for their No.1 hit Chelsea Dagger, as well as major Southwest superstars; the Wurzels (Combine Harvester, I Am a Cider Drinker)!
Watchet Festival is a volunteer-run festival based in the historical Somerset harbour town of Watchet, taking place annually from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th August. This year's instalment saw around 5000 attendees flocking to see impressive acts like Scouting for Girls (She’s so Lovely) and Belinda Carlisle to name but a few!
The volunteers who attended the festival included a mix of alumni and current learners. Their duties and responsibilities included:
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Ensuring Artist equipment was delivered to the stage and set in specific points
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Aiding with riser construction, setup & de-rig
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Locating risers, instruments, and artist incidentals to the correct performance position on stage
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Communicating and liaising with Artists to ensure they are happy, comfortable & ready to perform
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Schedule monitoring
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Barrier fencing installation (Pedestrian/Heras)
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Area management - ensuring backstage area was safe, clean and organised
As well as being an incredibly fun bit of work experience, this was of course a fantastic opportunity for our Music and Media learners to network and gain first-hand insight into the realities of the music and events industry. Working at events like this is no small feat. It requires hard work, passion and dedication – something these learners definitely do not lack.
According to Oz, Weston College Music Performance Instructor and Technician, the learners taking part “worked very hard, consistently demonstrating professionalism.”
Oz is no stranger to Festival and event work! Having recently been appointed his very own stage to manage at Glastonbury Festival, Oz is dedicated to supporting our learners in gaining real-world experience to advance their future careers. Click here to read more about Oz and music learners at Glastonbury Festival.
We also caught up with Ethan, second year Creative & Digital Media learner and festival volunteer, who had this to say:
“My experience at Watchet Festival was very positive but also very hard work! With long working hours which included a lot of stage setup, the whole experience was well worth it, especially seeing the punters enjoying the festival... My favourite moment was meeting Scouting For Girls. I have grown up listening to their music essentially all my life. It was great to be able to not only see a band live who I wanted to see live for years, but to also meet them! That was definitely the highlight of Watchet for me!"
Ethan is currently doing a work placement at one of the largest event production companies in the UK, SLX based in Avonmouth.
He told us that once he leaves Weston College, he aspires to pursue a career as a Lighting Technician, therefore industry experiences like Watchet Festival “will definitely help in the future with time management as well as working well with a team whilst at times under pressure." He went on to say "this role did involve a lot of problem solving whilst on the spot, trying to find a solution that would work.”
Thanks to Oz, Ethan and all of the incredible volunteers that represented Weston College – we're so proud of you and the level of professionalism you have displayed!
To find out more about our Music courses and the opportunities we offer, click here!
To read more about our Creative & Digital Media courses, click here!
The volunteers who attended the festival included a mix of alumni and current learners. Their duties and responsibilities included:
-
Ensuring Artist equipment was delivered to the stage and set in specific points
-
Aiding with riser construction, setup & de-rig
-
Locating risers, instruments, and artist incidentals to the correct performance position on stage
-
Communicating and liaising with Artists to ensure they are happy, comfortable & ready to perform
-
Schedule monitoring
-
Barrier fencing installation (Pedestrian/Heras)
-
Area management - ensuring backstage area was safe, clean and organised
As well as being an incredibly fun bit of work experience, this was of course a fantastic opportunity for our Music and Media learners to network and gain first-hand insight into the realities of the music and events industry. Working at events like this is no small feat. It requires hard work, passion and dedication – something these learners definitely do not lack.
According to Oz, Weston College Music Performance Instructor and Technician, the learners taking part “worked very hard, consistently demonstrating professionalism.”
Oz is no stranger to Festival and event work! Having recently been appointed his very own stage to manage at Glastonbury Festival, Oz is dedicated to supporting our learners in gaining real-world experience to advance their future careers. Click here to read more about Oz and music learners at Glastonbury Festival.
We also caught up with Ethan, second year Creative & Digital Media learner and festival volunteer, who had this to say:
“My experience at Watchet Festival was very positive but also very hard work! With long working hours which included a lot of stage setup, the whole experience was well worth it, especially seeing the punters enjoying the festival... My favourite moment was meeting Scouting For Girls. I have grown up listening to their music essentially all my life. It was great to be able to not only see a band live who I wanted to see live for years, but to also meet them! That was definitely the highlight of Watchet for me!"
Ethan is currently doing a work placement at one of the largest event production companies in the UK, SLX based in Avonmouth.
He told us that once he leaves Weston College, he aspires to pursue a career as a Lighting Technician, therefore industry experiences like Watchet Festival “will definitely help in the future with time management as well as working well with a team whilst at times under pressure." He went on to say "this role did involve a lot of problem solving whilst on the spot, trying to find a solution that would work.”
Thanks to Oz, Ethan and all of the incredible volunteers that represented Weston College – we're so proud of you and the level of professionalism you have displayed!
To find out more about our Music courses and the opportunities we offer, click here!
To read more about our Creative & Digital Media courses, click here!
