Four South African Roadies Association (SARA) technical and production trainees; Wandile Gxoyiya (22) from Soweto, Seiso Sithole (23) from Pretoria, Mpho Pholoana (23) from Soweto and Letsebela Mokoena (26) from Katlehong, Ekurhuleni. They will depart on 27 November 2014, for a life changing skills development visit to the famous Backstage Academy in the UK.

The SARA team will meet with officials from the UK’s Backstage Academy and the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills, to consolidate the working relations and discuss the technical and production skills training and exchange programmes.

During the visit the four SARA members will be introduced at a Backstage Academy open day at their Wakefield facility. They will be provided with an induction as to the Backstage Academy trainee programmes, the facilities, the equipment and the software.

Interaction with current Backstage Academy trainees and attending current classes are also included in the visit, the purpose of which will be to provide the SARA members with the opportunity to be exposed to cutting-edge technical and production methodology, in a manner that they in turn can look to create opportunities for technically- and production-oriented South African youth when they return.

There is a range of technical careers available for young people in the technical and production sector that includes a variety of jobs that include lighting, sound, rigging and AV. The technical and production sector uses a diverse array of skills, including sound design, sound engineering and mixing, cabling, lighting design and engineering, and programming.

Backstage Academy was founded by Adrian Brooks in 2009 and provides the best possible training for the flourishing live events industry, with fantastic industry links and state-of-the-art production facilities. The academy has earned a reputation as a centre of excellence, in the technical and production sectors, for backstage training, specialising in degree courses, short courses and bespoke training programmes for young students, established professionals and community groups.

The Backstage Academy is based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in the UK, in the largest purpose-built production rehearsal arena complex in Europe called LS-Live, which counts Jay Z, The Stone Roses, Dizzee Rascal, Lady Gaga, Robbie Williams, The BBC, ITV and Monster Energy amongst its clients.

As a privately funded organisation Backstage Academy bridges the gap between industry and education, working closely with leading professionals to respond quickly to current skills shortages and write training programmes in line with specific demands.

It provides relevant, up-to-date training so that degree students get, for instance with the entertainment industry, a real taste for what life is like in the technical and production sector, with a focus on employability.

Some of the things Backstage Academy graduates have gone on to gain employment with the Jay Z world tour, the Winter Olympics, the Mumford & Sons tour, the Glastonbury site office, Leeds Festival, LS-Live, Alton Towers, Well Pleased Events and Genesis Theatre.

The SARA trainees and president Freddie Nyathela will also visit the Backstage Centre, which offers a dedicated meeting point for technicians, producers, creative teams and learners of all ages. The centre is London’s newest production rehearsal and training facility, situated in Purfleet’s High House Production Park, a new cultural industries business zone. Space to train and learn at every stage of one’s career is offered, whether one is a world-renowned international artist or a young person taking their first career steps.

SARA extends its sincere appreciation and gratitude to the National Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) for its funding support and vision, without which the visit to Backstage Academy and the Backstage Centre by the SARA members would not be possible.

“DAC’s support makes for life changing opportunity and experience for Wandile Gxoyiya, Seiso Sithole, Mpho Pholoana and Letsebela Mokoena and offers the chance to the four, whose aptitude and dedication earned them a spot on the SARA travelling party, put the knowledge, network and skills learned to work back home, where we really need it,’ says Nyathela.