This will be an ongoing insight of what it is like as a technician at the Edinburgh Fringe. From our first week to our last, these will be an inside look at what happens behind the scenes that most people don’t get even a glimpse of. This is the seventh week of the EdFringe.
This will be an ongoing insight of what it is like as a technician at the Edinburgh Fringe. From our first week to our last, these will be an inside look at what happens behind the scenes that most people don’t get even a glimpse of. This is the sixth week of the EdFringe.
This will be an ongoing insight of what it is like as a technician at the Edinburgh Fringe. From our first week to our last, these will be an inside look at what happens behind the scenes that most people don’t get even a glimpse of. This is the fifth week of the EdFringe.
This will be an ongoing insight of what it is like as a technician at the Edinburgh Fringe. From our first week to our last, these will be an inside look at what happens behind the scenes that most people don’t get even a glimpse of. This is the fourth week of the EdFringe.
As I was recently reading a book, they mentioned a lyric from a song by the Smiths. The lyric goes ‘I wear black on the outside/ ‘Cause black is how I feel on the inside’. It instantly struck me. With all the recent discussions and invitations on insight to mental health in the theatrical and entertainment industry, I pondered a question: If we weren’t constantly wearing black on the outside, would we still feel black on the inside?
In this interview, professional opera singer Jessica Pratt discusses her collaboration with House of K’dor in creating her $1.8 million bespoke necklace, the pursuit of her career, and those who inspired her to keep going.
This will be an ongoing insight of what it is like as a technician at the Edinburgh Fringe. From our first week to our last, these will be an inside look at what happens behind the scenes that most people don’t get even a glimpse of.
Many of the professionals in the industry have recently spoken out about the conditions that workers are facing in recent years, including some chair members of organisations. Some of the ways they have spoken out informally include taking to social media, speaking to magazines, partaking in unofficial surveys, and of course word of mouth to allies and friends. These ways rarely get the attention of higher-ups and can sometimes cause trouble for those who have spoken out by not going through more formal channels. But some within the industry have taken the route of more official ways of speaking out including speaking directly to unions, associations, partaking in official surveys, and talking to adversaries who speak on their behalf. Some have even issued warnings to companies employing professionals in the industry.
Every year, The Big Freelancer Survey aims to provide a detailed analysis of the past 12 months. With the mixed-methods survey that 1156 freelancers took part in this year, the data that is gathered from the survey feeds into ongoing negotiations between industry workers and the governing bodies. This informs everyone where support feels needed and what the greatest issues facing the performing arts industry are. The survey of 2023 reveals a massive ongoing gender pay gap, and much of the freelance workforce feeling “undervalued, underpaid and under- appreciated.”
Najmiddin Mavlyanov was born in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), and is currently reprising his role as Radamès as part of Opera Australia. He studied singing and was a soloist at the conservatory and opera of Tashkent, which he finished in 2006. In this interview he talks about some keys to becoming a tenor opera singer, his shift from performing on different continents, and laughs at fond memories from when he was studying opera.
Coral Mizrachi is an Israeli actress based in Belgrade, Serbia. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and since then has been working as an actress across three different continents including places such as the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Some of her most notable credits that fans may recognise her from include the Comedy Central sitcom Shutafim, and the horror film Foreign Form by Arian Behpour. In this interview she talks passionately about how it feels to work in different markets including theatre and film, where she believes the next Hollywood is, a funny story about prop safety, and what are the “Must knows” for an actor working internationally.
Ernesto Petti was born in Salerno, and is currently making his title role debut as Rigoletto as part of Opera Australia. He graduated from the Accademia di Alto Perfezionamento Torre del Lago Puccini and was a member of the Centre Perfeccionamento Placido Domingo at Palau de les Arts in Valencia. Some of his most notable work include his debut at a young age as Giorgio Germont in La Traviata in Lecce, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera at NCPA in Beijing and in Piacenza, and Paolo in Simon Boccanegra at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In this interview he talks about his awakening for becoming a baritone opera singer, his career change, and some advice for those taking on large roles.
Mentorship is a vital part of the entertainment and arts industry and our careers within it. Mentorship is especially invaluable for those who are underrepresented in the industry. This beginning of our careers often sets the stage for where we decide to take our careers in the future. However, with it being so crucial to our profession, should we expect to pay for this knowledge or if we are the ones giving this knowledge, should we expect to be paid?
Working in the entertainment industry, especially for large-scale acrobatic circus shows had been my life’s dream. A dream which I had, over the years, painstakingly realized. I had found the backstage experience exhilarating and highly addictive. Magical. In the end, I decided to say goodbye. Yet, how do you let go of something that lives and breathes in every fibre of your body?
At sixteen, while sitting on the floor of my highschool hallway, I was visited by a thought. A thought so crystal clear, that there was no room or need to debate. It wasn’t emotional or flighty. It just WAS. It presented itself from out of nowhere. Unaccompanied by hubris or bravado, it declared itself to […]
Written by Elana Carroll Working toward a career goal in entertainment comes with a lot of baggage. Movies depict a certain sequence of events, ads promise a kind of instant gratification, and our elders say they were able to work their way up the ladder, buy a house, pay for college for the kids and […]
Can you remember times when you had multiple colds in a row or that one cold that just didn’t want to go away? Or you got injured, then went back to work too early, only to end up prolonging the healing process? We are all so busy in our lives. And falling ill often seems like an annoying hindrance. Yet it is so important for us to give our body the time it needs to recharge. How else do we want to be able to sustain long-term energy in this marathon called life?
From the second you started acting school, you’ve been told everything about the seemingly all-important senior showcase. In fact, even to this day, many aspiring stars choose their school based on whether or not it has a showcase. These days, acting schools are showcasing in LA, NY, Chicago, DC and many other US cities. The showcases are so popular that adult actors well out of school are paying good money to participate in similar opportunities.
No matter where you end up in the acting and entertainment industry, it’s always important to remember the value of building long-lasting relationships. Whether you’re walking into an audition room, rehearsal environment, live set, fancy premiere, or dinner party, you never know who you might meet and how that potential relationship could change the course of your entire life and career.
If you know anything about me or our work, you can probably guess what I think about big breaks in show business: that they rarely happen overnight, from scoring a single role, or by randomly going viral.
Circus Without Borders is a documentary about Guillaume Saladin and Yamoussa Bangoura, best friends and world-class acrobats from remote corners of the globe who share the same dream: To bring hope and change to their struggling communities through circus. Their dream unfolds in the Canadian Arctic and in Guinea, West Africa, where they help Inuit and Guinean youth achieve unimaginable success while confronting suicide, poverty and despair.
The live events industry can be hard to navigate. There isn’t a defined career pathway or educational framework that one needs to follow, no qualification that is necessary or will guarantee you a rewarding job once you have it. It can feel even more confusing if you’re a freelancer. You don’t have a boss to guide you or promotion options to pursue within a company. You are the only one who is responsible for your training and progression. When you then take into account the… creative and organic nature of live events and the current industry-wide shortage of experienced technicians caused (mainly) by the pandemic, it is quite common for people to be offered roles that don’t exactly match their skill set. Whether it’s an ad for a dream job that lists a bunch of skills or experience that you don’t have, or you’re getting offers of work that involves equipment that you’ve never touched, you may feel that there is a gap between your current skills and what potential clients are expecting of you. What should you do? The phrase “fake it ‘till you make it!” gets thrown about a lot, but is it really the solution? It is something I have struggled with throughout my whole career and I’m sorry to say I still don’t have the answer, but here are some things to consider so you can form your own conclusions.
Cecilia Arnould Rachner, Artist, Casting Director, Artistic Coach, Creative Advisor, and Production Manager has always had two passions: working artistically and preserving nature. Now, the mosaic pieces of her impressive career have aligned in the founding her own company: The Six Foot Creation (SFC) Foundation. This will soon also be followed by the Chimera Gala, a culmination of Cecilia’s work and passions thus far. In our interview, Cecilia gives us some fascinating as well as charming insights into her career. This is part 2 of 2.
We’re often advised to choose one career path, specialise in one field or skill set, and stick to it until we become a master in it. But what if you’re a polymath with several diverse interests and want to pursue them all? In the audio world, it’s quite common for people to wear many hats – the audio engineer who is also a musician and composer is a common example. Or perhaps you’re a person who needs a lot of variety to focus and maintain passion for your work – whether it’s working in several audio fields, or in completely different fields. Or your life circumstances might mean you’re not able to work full-time, or you have hobbies or commitments that are important and central to your life and wellbeing. How can you combine several interests and skill sets to create a satisfying career that also pays the bills?
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