Work Experience
The Point welcomes applications for work
experience placements and each year offers between six and eight
opportunities.
Doing your work experience placement
at The Point
Priority is given to pupils from Eastleigh
borough schools and colleges. The work experience programme is
carefully managed to ensure that the student receives a quality
experience and has the opportunity to sample a range of the venue’s
work and/or to specialise in an area in which they have expressed
an interest.
How old do I have to be to do my work
experience at The Point?
Work experience placements are offered to year
10 students and above (14 + years).
What if I have special
needs?
The Point welcomes applications from all
students and if you have any special needs we will work as a team
to support you during your placement with us. The Point’s building
is fully accessible for wheelchair users.
Why do I want to come to The
Point?
Before you apply for a work experience
placement at The Point consider these things:
- Am I seriously considering a
career in the
arts or do I just like the
idea of hanging
out in a theatre for a week
or two?
- Do I actually know what The
Point does?
Have I looked at its
website and even
seen any shows there?
- Am I prepared for the long days
and the
evenings and weekends that
are
sometimes required?
- Is it OK for me that there will
be lots of
basic tasks as well as more
exciting
opportunities during my
placement?
- Do I want to do a placement
which
involves a lot of team
working and contact
with the public rather than
working quietly
by myself?
At the bottom of this page some of our 2009
work experience students have written about their time with us –
this may be helpful in deciding whether The Point is the right
placement for you.
When can I do my work
experience?
This ensures that work experience placements
get a true experience of working in a busy presenting theatre
opportunities are only offered during periods when The Point
programme is active.
In general these are:
From mid-September to Christmas
From February to the Easter break
From after the Easter break to mid-June
Placements are offered for a minimum of one
week and maximum of two and students may be required to do some
evenings and weekends during their placement.
What will I get to do?
We encourage students to get an all-round
experience of the theatre and so you will spend time in each
department:
Marketing & audience development
Box office
Front of house (ushering for shows)
Technical & operations (backstage)
Young people’s theatre
Arts development team (including the weekly
classes programme)
Resident companies
If you have a specific career interest (such
as marketing, stage management, or lighting design for example) we
can create a work experience programme specially for you.
What won’t I get to do?
The Point is a presenting theatre (shows come
to us as part of national or international tours) rather than a
producing one (we don’t have a company of actors or dancers which
rehearses here full-time) so you won’t get to perform, make
costumes and sets or teach any classes.
How do I apply?
Write personally to The Point’s Youth
Theatre Coordinator Louise Rickwood telling her:
- Where you are at school or
college and
what dates you would like
to come
- Why you would like to do your
work
experience at The Point
- What your plans and ambitions
are for
further/higher education
and your
professional career
- What you hope to get out of your
work
experience placement
- What skills, qualities and
interests you can
bring to The Point
- Whether you would like to a
general
placement (spending time in
each
department) or a specialist
one (for
example in the marketing
department or
on the technical team).
Other than in exceptional circumstances
applications written by parents or teachers on behalf of students
are not accepted.
What happens next?
We get a large number of applications each
year and so we shortlist applicants based on:
- The quality of the letter
of application
- How clear and enthusiastic you
are about
your interests, skills and
ambitions and
what you want to get from
the placement
- Whether we can accommodate you
on the
dates you have
requested.
Shortlisted applicants are then invited in for
a short interview with the Youth Theatre director Dan Hill or the
Youth Theatre Coordinator Louise Rickwood and placements offered
accordingly. Parents or carers are welcome to accompany the student
to the interview but are requested not to take part in it.
Where possible the student meets with the
director or a senior staff member both at the commencement and on
completion of the placement.
During your placement we will ask you and your
parent’s permission to take a photograph for this page of our web
site and ask you to do a short report to accompany it.
Who has been on work experience in
2009?
I have spent many evenings at The Point
but never imagined that I would spend a whole two weeks there on
work experience. During placement I have experienced a variety of
educational, beneficial and amazing opportunities - from hanging up
a large curtain over the auditorium by myself (but supervised!) to
being creative in the Mosaic dance class. The Point staff that I
worked with set a positive atmosphere which gave me new confidence
in working with adults, created many learning opportunities and
allowed me to try out new skills. I learnt about the different
sides of The Point, not just the performance side but the
marketing, technical and educational side opening up insights in to
new future career opportunities. Whether it was learning how to
book people’s tickets, having fun with my co-workers or working
alone, The Point Theatre strengthened my confidence. I hope future
work experience students have an awesome time just like
me.
Joseph Warne - Wyvern
School