Considered as the ‘biggest night in British music’ The BRIT Awards 2021 returned to London’s O2 Arena on 11 May, featuring performances and a limited, non-socially distanced audience as part of the UK government’s roster of Events Research Programme (ERP) pilot events. As the lighting supplier, PRG teamed up with The BRIT School to offer three students hands-on experience as part of an ongoing work placement partnership.
The students were involved in the whole crew experience – from prepping equipment, loading in and the run of the live event to the load out. This offers students experience within the real world of live events, exposing them to the endless possibilities of the sector. This is one of three similar projects that PRG runs in addition to work experience placements and apprenticeships for post-16 students in higher and further education.
PRG UK Vice President of Event Services, Richard Gorrod who worked alongside this year’s students, said: “It is always great to have the students from The BRIT School on the show. We have a large amount of very experienced crew on this project. By providing a chance to work alongside them, we hope that they gain a large amount of experience and knowledge. It is nice to see them grow in knowledge and confidence throughout the week, Will, Kai and Josh were all great students willing to do anything to help. It’s a real win-win situation on both sides. Long may the relationship continue.”
This year, Kai, William and Josh joined a long list of past students to work with PRG on this project. With several BRIT School alumni now working full time with PRG, this year’s students had the opportunity to work alongside their predecessors, seeing first-hand where their careers could lead.
By giving BRIT School students hands-on experience as active members of our crew, PRG offers a placement that goes beyond traditional shadowing and encourages them to challenge themselves and apply their skills to a huge live event.
BRIT School Director of Production Arts, Olivia Chew commended PRG for its support of entry level education in production, for working closely with the school to maintain clear and honest communication throughout the placements and for helping to provide confidence in their students at such an early stage in their careers.
“Our ongoing partnership with PRG provides our entry level Production Arts students with unparalleled access to the best equipment and experience available. Allowing our students to gain hands-on experience on some of the biggest live events in the world gives them an edge amongst their peers, be that in higher education or the freelance job markets,” Chew commented. “We are so grateful to PRG for supporting Production Arts at The BRIT School and ensuring that our diverse student body has the best opportunities within the events and performance industry.”