Stuff We Love About The Victorian State Schools Spectacular
Adam Lowe discusses the Victorian State Schools Spectacular and the Importance of mentoring young peopleâŚ.
One of my strongest skills, Iâve learned, is the patience and experience to take on young talent and mentor itâŚI have discovered too, that I love the experience it provides me, as well as the young people.
This has become a fundamental part of ALGâs philosophy for recruitment, by finding ways to work with young people, discover their talents and develop pathways for them to join our business, or the business of our suppliers and clients alike.
I have been involved with the Victorian State School Spectacular since 2003, at that time as stage manager and now, as Creative Producer.
In todayâs world of TV talent showâs by the dozen, all celebrating the onstage talents, I am pleased that In 2011, we for the first time I can remember, in any major way, began to involve students from secondary schools behind the scenes. Not just in front of them. There had of course been a tradition of tertiary level students in work placement or secondment roles here and there, but never to the same extent was secondary student involvement.
The 2011 Crew of the Victorian State Schools Spectacular, with Creative Director Neill Gladwin, Music Director Chong Lim, Associate Music Director Trevor Jones, Creative Producer Adam Lowe ALG Technical Manager Paul Yarnall. (Photo by Simon K Patterson).
With the decision by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to move the Victorian State Schools Spectacular into an annual planning cycle, I wanted to capture the imaginations of behind the scenes minded students, and the momentum of annual involvement to keep them coming, and actively working alongside industry professionals â just like their singing and dancing colleagues have been doing for years.
The tertiary students had traditionally been filling rehearsal SM and ASM roles, door stage management and some cast movement roles. This has mainly been thanks to the Victorian College of the Arts, and other Victorian Government Education institutions like Box Hill TAFE, and the Glen Waverly and Chadstone campuses of Holmesglen TAFE.
Now weâve got the secondary students .working as radio mic technicians, video operators, assistant stage managers, mechanists and stage hands and as the planning for the 2012 event rolls forward at a rate of knots we are looking to fill all of this again, and anything more that might present as an area of interest.
Coburg Secondary College is an example of the creative and the technical.  For 2 years so far, and hopefully again in 2012 they will create the on screen video content, as well as provide the team of students who, during g the rehearsal and performances of the show, will operate the technology under mentorship of a first class industry provider, to deliver the all important video story telling.
Students of Coburg Secondary College operating the vision playback equipment to stadium screens, featuring content created by themselves, and other students of the school. (Photo by Unknown).
Nick Turner of Sandringham College comes to mind as an all round success from working behind the scenes with us at the Spectacular. Nick has gone on to join volunteer programs with some of our other clients, in event management, has continued his relationship with us outside of the education system, and is well on his way to vocation, in the arts and events industries should he choose it.  A keen lighting technician, a keen photographer and an enthusiastic, hard working production assistant, Nick is just one of the fantastic things about working with young people at the Victorian State Schools Spectacular.
Nick Turner, backstage discussing his role with Minister for Education, Martin Dixon. (Photo Jeff Busby).
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