White Light continues to expand its staff to allow it to cope with the wide range of projects it is involved with worldwide. Co-incidentally, a number of the new staff have come from the Central School of Speech and Drama, reflecting the industry-related training the college offers its students.
The latest recruit to White Light is Nathaniel Seekins, who joins the company as a CAD technician after completing a BA in Theatre Practice at Central, following on from majoring in Technical Theatre and Design at the University of Connecticut. “I was introduced to the company two years ago by lighting designer David Howe, who I was assisting at the time. Since then I’ve come in for console training and carried out some work for White Light’s production team. I decided to join White Light mainly because of the company’s excellent reputation in the West End, and I am now extremely proud to be part of the White Light team.”
Another recent recruit is Dominic Yates, now a Project Manager with White Light’s Production team, working on a wide range of corporate events and exhibitions including the recent Skyfest festivals in London and Edinburgh. “I fell into lighting and production from an early age,” he explains, “and when I was making the decision on what to study, I opted to make a career out of my hobby. I was attracted to Central by its combination of top class facilities and the way it actively encouraged industry links, giving us an understanding of the ‘real world’ early on in the course. Nearing graduation, what attracted me to White Light was the variety of projects the company was involved with, and the opportunity to take on more of a production management role, expanding on the experience I gained at college.”
A third Central graduate, Dan Harvey, is also working with White Light on Le Vie, a new show in Singapore to which White Light is supplying the complete lighting system.
Commenting on the success of Central students in finding work once they move out into the world beyond education, Nick Moran, Senior Lecturer in Lighting at Central comments “Central’s Theatre Practice course is proud of its ability to prepare graduates for the world of work, but we could not do this without the invaluable support of our industry partners. Our relationship with White Light is one we particularly value, and goes far beyond hosting placements and providing equipment. Senior staff act as a critical friend to the course team and the students, keeping us all on our toes and ensuring graduates are fully prepared to begin their professional lives.”
Central, about which more information can be found at www.cssd.ac.uk, is just one of the many drama schools and other educational institutions that White Light works closley with, regularly supplying equipment and more to Guildhall, Lamda, Rose Bruford, RADA, Mountview and others. White Light also offers a wide range of training courses open to all, including a series of popular Schools Lighting Masterclasses aimed at introducing the theory and practice of show lighting to both students and teachers. More information on these courses can be found at www.WhiteLight.Ltd.uk/training.
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