Production Futures ON TOUR event will take place at the AO Arena, Manchester on Tuesday 30 April 2024.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who is a strong supporter of the Production Futures mission, and who opened the previous ON TOUR show in the city, is enthusiastic about the event: “We are delighted to welcome Production Futures ON TOUR back to Manchester for a third year, and to see huge growth in the upcoming show, now taking over the AO Arena, where so many iconic artists and shows have taken the stage.”
“Greater Manchester is known around the globe as the birthplace of ground-breaking music, film, theatre, festivals, venues, live events and TV, but that’s only made possible by the expertise and dedication of thousands of people working behind the scenes in our creative industries. There are so many opportunities to get involved, but often people don’t know what those routes are, or how their transferable skills could open up new possibilities. By offering up those opportunities and helping to develop those skills and open doors, Production Futures is paving the way for the next generation of professionals in our thriving and evolving creative industries,” Burnham added.
The free-of-charge event will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, networking, and will present paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry.
Hannah Eakins CEO at Production Futures reflected on the success of the ON TOUR programme: “Since 2022 our ON TOUR events have seen us work with seventy-five industry partners across ten major shows, attended by more than five thousand young people and industry newcomers. Our partners, who comprise world-leading manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors, have representatives present to provide advice, information and insights, and discuss specific job and training opportunities.”
“As well as manufacturers and suppliers, we also work closely with a range of organisations, initiatives, education partners and associations, connecting employment and training opportunities to a diverse pool of talent. They also have representatives available to answer questions and offer support,” she added.
Visitors to the show will enjoy a packed schedule while industry workshops will offer young visitors the chance to engage in a wide range of activities, from preparing to be job-ready with industry-oriented CVs, to hands on exploration of lighting programming, CAD, audio engineering, as well as getting under the skin of music production, virtual production and event production planning.
Gemma Vaughan, Director of Sales and Marketing at ASM Global Europe who manage and operate the AO Arena, commented “Production Futures is such a vital part of our industry. Making people aware of careers in production from an early age means we can capture the best talent and captivate the best minds. We’re so proud to support this event at the AO Arena.”
As well as allowing young people and newcomers to attend the event free of charge, Production Futures also makes available a number of group travel bursaries for organisations and educational institutions.
