Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2018 - 64

Fredonia USITT Student Chapter
at the 2012 USITT National
Conference. Photo courtesy of
Fredonia Department of Theatre
and Dance

cluding USITT, LDI, Lightfare, Infocon,
and ETC CUE. Many USITT regional
sections hold symposia, and distributors
often offer small training workshops.
Attending a conference affords the opportunity to participate in the expo floor
and take advantage of particular offerings. The USITT Lighting Commission
has a biennial light lab with access to the
most recent gear on the market and sessions built around its use. Participating
in the Light Lab as a volunteer can give
you hands-on experience with gear you
may not otherwise be able to access. The
USITT Lighting Studio provides scheduled time for students and professionals
alike to sit down at a console with some
fixtures and work through an exercise or
two. Conferences are also a great place
to network and meet other professionals
and befriend a manufacturer or distributor that can be called upon when needed.
There are shorter 2-4 day professional
development events, too. Live Design's
New York Master Class and Stage Semi-

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THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

WINTER 2018

nar's Stage Lighting Super Saturday are
excellent short-term options.
Additional learning opportunities
are available without travel. USITT
members have access to Innova, a
web-based training platform that offers
"learning for your schedule." Many lighting manufacturers and distributors also
provide video tutorials about how to effectively use and troubleshoot their gear.
They want users to know how to use
their gear and get the most out of the investment.
As a professor, use leave opportunities or sabbaticals to dedicate time to
scholarship and catch up on new technologies and techniques. For example,
a colleague recently took a sabbatical in
order to study and take the ETCP Electrician exam. Sabbatical policies are different at each university, so check with
administrators for what they expect out
of a sabbatical. Through the years, the
authors have heard stories from many
professors who did not take advantage

of this opportunity because they felt the
timing was not right for the students or
the department. Yet, learning new skills
will ultimately be better for their students and department.
USITT also offers several valuable
teaching resources for lighting faculty. USITT's eSet program has developed
a group of definitions considered to be
the essential skills needed in several areas of technical theatre including lighting. Beyond the group of definitions,
eSet offers an online and practical exam
in which a person can earn a certificate
that indicates they have reached the
minimum requirements. Obtaining a certificate is a good goal for the end of the
student's program of study.
Another great resource is the Practical Projects for Teaching Lighting
Design: A Compendium, which can be
found at the USITT bookstore at www.
usitt.org/store. The Creative Teaching
Archive at http://teachingarchive.usitt.
org/ offers a collection of syllabi and
projects from fellow educators that you
might wish to incorporate into your
classes.
Industry service at a national level
is also beneficial. One great opportunity
is to volunteer with the USITT Lighting
Commission. Participants get credit for
service on a national level and get exposed to a new network of colleagues
and peers. Contact the Lighting Commissioner or come to a Lighting Commission Meeting at the national conference.
The days of teaching the same way
you were taught in the classroom are
over. Trends in education have changed,
university budgets are tight, faculty loads
are increasing, and more importantly, the
technology is changing almost daily. This
is a call to action, a beginning to a conversation. We've identified some of the
challenges we face as educators; now it
is time to look at the solutions presented
and ask ourselves, are we doing enough?
These are questions you must ask:
* How are the students' fundamental
skills, of problem-solving, enthusiasm,
and professionalism being developed
on a daily basis?
* Have you discussed realistic expectations with your students, including the
wide variety of career opportunities outside theatrical lighting?
* Have you examined the structure and
needs of your degree program and real-

http://www.usitt.org/store http://www.usitt.org/store http://teachingarchive.usitt.org/ http://teachingarchive.usitt.org/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2018