New Skills Bootcamp to boost gigs and live events in West Yorkshire

02 October 2023

Creative businesses in the region have joined forces with the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, to launch a new Skills Bootcamp that will supercharge opportunities for young people to work in live events.

It follows a summer of gigs at The Piece Hall in Halifax, where performances from global superstars such as Sting, James and George Ezra attracted over 125,000 visitors to the region. This highlighted an increasing need for local, skilled professionals to help deliver live events on this scale.

Nicky Chance-Thompson MBE DL, Chief Executive of The Piece Hall Trust, said:

“We’ve had a vision at The Trust to create opportunities for employment in music and live events for some time and I’m incredibly grateful to the Mayor for agreeing to fund this training.  

“Our 2023 gig season, in partnership with Cuffe and Taylor was our biggest and best yet, and we’re passionate about sharing this success as widely as possible.

“It’s always been part of the plan to help open doors in the creative industries for disadvantaged young people, marginalized and minority groups and our involvement in the live events skills bootcamp is just the start. The Live at The Piece Hall series is the perfect vehicle to help those who may otherwise struggle to get a foot on the ladder.”

The intensive training programme will be delivered at The Orange Box Young People’s Centre, next to The Piece Hall, by specialists from Production Park’s Academy of Live Technology in Wakefield. In twelve weeks, students will learn how to run and crew major concerts and events, getting to grips with core aspects such as sound, lighting, rigging and staging.

Rachel Nicholson, Head of Institution at Production Park’s Academy of Live Technology, said: 

“We are delighted that Mayor Brabin has made such a strong commitment to upskilling people in the creative sector in West Yorkshire. The live events industry continues to go from strength to strength here in the UK and worldwide, as audiences crave new experiences especially since Covid. 

“The sector is crying out for skilled professionals, and Production Park’s Academy of Live Technology has a global reputation for training the next generation – both at home and abroad. We can’t wait to start working with homegrown talent in Halifax."

Funded by the Mayor through the Department for Education, the Skills Bootcamp for Live Events will equip local people with the skills they need to step into the rising number of creative opportunities on offer in the region.

It comes after news that creative job vacancies have risen by 17% over the past year in West Yorkshire - three times more than the national average. When standing for election, Mayor Brabin pledged to deliver a “creative new deal” for the region. 

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: 

“With skills and culture at the heart of our plan, devolution is allowing us to play to our strengths and build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.

“This new skills bootcamp brings together the untapped creative potential of our young people with the opportunities in our thriving creative industries.

“It will support local talent into amazing new careers and help deliver more live events throughout our world class venues.”

The training aims to move people on to potential opportunities with national live music and event promoters, Cuffe and Taylor, to support future events at The Piece Hall and beyond.

Peter Taylor, co-founder of Cuffe and Taylor, said:

“We are delighted to support such an important initiative designed to encourage more young people to consider a career in live music events.

“The events industry provides amazing opportunities in a range of roles, not just in the UK but around the world, and it starts right here in Yorkshire!

“There is an incredible amount that goes into staging headline shows at The Piece Hall and crew are called in from all over the UK to enable us to do this. Our aim is to be able to tap into a locally sourced workforce. This Skills Bootcamp is a great way to achieve this goal and help young people discover the many fantastic careers open to them.”

Since April 2023, over 180 individuals have already been trained through the Mayor’s Skills Bootcamps across five courses, with 10 more launched in September 2023 including Skills Bootcamp in Digital Marketing, and Skills Bootcamp in Project Management and Digital Skills for Creative and Cultural Sector.

For further information and to apply, click here.