Cue3Go!

Issue 40

Techie Tip of the Week

SAFETY MANUAL

Does your high school theatre have a Safety Manual?  Employers are required by law to provide Safety Manuals, so your school theatre already has one, right?  Plus, your school district administration are legally required to enforce OSHA and other safety standards for its facilities, so you’re safe, right?  What about Entertainment Industry standards, those exist specifically for the entertainment world, so you’re covered there too, right?

Well, sort of….  None of these specifically or solely apply to high school theatres.  Therefore, not only is it imperative to staff a high school theatre with qualified professionals, but also to create a safety program, enforce safety rules, and provide an on-site Safety Manual.  That way if something does happen, you can provide documentation that you have been doing everything possible to mitigate dangerous situations. 

Your Safety Manual should be a comprehensive policies and procedures document of safety standards intended to control and minimize the hazards typically found in your school theatre.  It should address proper training, equipment maintenance, the dissemination of appropriate information, and enforcement of policies and procedures in order to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone in your school theatre.  Admittedly it’s usually the book that no one reads, but your Theatre Safety Manual will have practical implications in the theatre, because almost every document has information that can be posted, frequently taught and/or is constantly used in practice.

Every school theatre has its own unique operations, but there are a few fairly universal topics that should be in your Safety Manual. You can adapt these below to suit your own needs and the codes and laws that affect your area.

There is no doubt that it is time consuming to create a Theatre Safety program and then to document it all in a Safety Manual, amid the shows, events, production meetings, repairs, maintenance, scheduling and the myriad of other administrative tasks involved in running a high school theatre.  But, I urge you to get started and work on it when you can, because your next accident can happen tomorrow. 

If you don’t have time to create your own Safety Manual, you can order a adaptable generic version here:  https://www.presett.org/hstheatrebooks.html 

Don’t let the show go on without a Safety Manual!  

This editorial is the express opinion of Beth Rand, and is not intended for substitution for professional advice regarding your specific situation or circumstances.

Leveling-Up

Online courses for school theatre teachers and staff

Courses that leave you empowered with actionable strategies to level-up support and funding for your theatre operations and educating your students. ​

Check with your admin - many districts will pay for Professional Development!

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DO YOU HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR THEATRE'S OPERATIONS AS WELL AS TEACH!?

HELP IS HERE!

please visit:

Theatre Management Training Course

Lighting and Safety Courses

Safety Webinar for Students​

Dear Techie,

Do you have any information for students interested in Arts Admin?  My students have already researched different jobs and present on them.  Our "standard" for the class specifically states, "Select and demonstrate tasks associated with areas of Arts Administration."  I like the idea of them maybe reaching out to art admin professionals in the community, but not sure of the specifics of that yet.  Just looking for thoughts and ideas while I figure this out.

Admin in VA

Dear Admin,

May I recommend your students contact Full Sail University in Florida. They have full bachelors and masters degrees in Entertainment Business (both brick-and-mortar and online). Here's the link: https://www.fullsail.edu/area-of-study/business. I’m sure they would be happy to answer questions.  It's really awesome that you are teaching a unit on Arts Administration, as it's a great way for vocational theatre students to obtain employment in the theatre world. 

High school theatre management is also a growing field, as more and more high school theatres serve as "roadhouses" for school events, district events and outside events. Even if a school theatre just accommodates school events, it's still essentially a roadhouse and it still needs to be managed. All theatres, even high school theatres, need to have policies and procedures in place, such as: safety policies and protocols, staffing models, forms and documentations, event success procedures, finances and budgeting, marketing and outreach, and other operational functions. 

High school and college students are also welcome to take the TMT (Theatre Management Training) course.  There are 3 formats in which to take the course.  Students can check out all three at www.PRESETT.org​ to see which would suit them best.

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It is PRESETT's mission to provide information to assist in endeavors for safe and functional operations of school theatres. However, PRESETT is not a safety consultant or professional, and any information provided or advocated is not intended to supplement, not supersede, industry safety training. Always consult a theatre safety specialist about your specific situation or circumstances.