Cabildo de Tenerife, through Auditorio de Tenerife, and Fundación MAPFRE Guanarteme present for the second year in a row a programme of courses for technical students and professionals in performing arts shows. The island director for Culture, José Luis Rivero, and the director of Fundación MAPFRE Guanarteme, Esther Martel Gil, revealed the details of this training scheme to take place from May to June.

José Luis Rivero explained that “at Distrito de las Artes and in line with Tenerife 2030 we wish to offer training in the creative industries pursuing a double goal: education and employability”. “The collaboration of schools, like CEIP César Manrique, is most important, as they not only provide students but also the spaces and technical resources necessary to give some of the courses”, he added. To José Luis Rivero “public-private co-operation is fundamental and thanks to the agreement with Fundación MAPFRE Guanarteme we can offer more affordable prices”.

For her part, Esther Martel Gil admitted that “the course last year was a success”. “Our challenge was to improve the employability and qualification of our technicians and students giving them the opportunity to learn with high-level teachers”. Fundación MAPFRE Guanarteme’s director shared her “satisfaction for meeting students’ expectations”. Esther Martel Gil said that some students of the first courses have improved their work conditions, have provided means to save costs and time in the performance of their job and some have even started their own businesses.

After the success last year and in answer to the needs conveyed by the sector, an offer has been set up to continue in the same line, which consists of three 40-hour courses on the most widely-used computer programmes in the creation and production of live shows (Autocad, Wysiwyg and Qlab) plus one 25-hour course on the connection of electronic devices (Redes). The number of places for these intensive courses is reduced and their goal is to improve the skills and specialisation of the participants.

Last year the course addressed the first level of the Wysiwyg and Qlab programmes, this year we are tackling the second degree of difficulty in order to further the specialisation of participants. The training school specialising in design, lighting and new technologies for shows DiiVANT will give a certificate at the end of both courses.

With the aim of improving the employability and skills of these Canarian professionals the courses feature speakers and teachers specialising in the different subjects offered. They will take place at Auditorio de Tenerife and at CEIP César Manrique, which is providing the technical, material and human resources needed for a successful course.

Thanks to the collaboration of Fundación MAPFRE Guanarteme, courses can be offered at a reduced price, so that professionals pay 60 euros plus IGIC and students 30 euros plus IGIC, per person and course. You can enrol on Auditorio website  www.auditoriodetenerife.com, in the Training subsection of the Educational and Social area here.

Auditorio de Tenerife is currently carrying out a large number of projects that turn it into the largest centres of show production in the Canary Islands, as Cabildo de Tenerife has entrusted them with the production of a great part of its Strategy for the Performing Arts on the island, including the management of the Instituto de Artes Escénicas de Tenerife.

This growing activity gives rise to the need of having more qualified professionals and it is in the technical departments where it is more difficult to find specialised staff. That is why we have opted for setting up our own training programme with the aim of covering the lack of professionals specialising in this area in the Canaries.

The first course, taught by architect Luzan Oramas de La Concha, is Autocad Level 1, a programme applied to stage design and the setting up of shows in different auditoriums. It will take place from 6 to 10 May from 08:00 am to 3:00 pm at Sala Oval Castillo in Auditorio de Tenerife.

The Redes Level 1 course is taught by electronic engineer Hugo Gabriel, and will be held from 27 to 31 May, from 09:00 am to 2:00 pm, at Sala Oval Castillo in Auditorio de Tenerife. The course deals with setting up, creating and using computer wireless networks applied to shows.

From 10 to 14 June, from 08:00 am to 03:00 pm, at Sala Oval Castillo in Auditorio de Tenerife the course in Wysiwyg Nivel 2. Luis Perdiguero, who has worked in technical direction, stage and lighting design in theatres since 1990, will further the knowledge of students on this programme to design and light for the performing arts.

Finally, CEIP César Manrique will once again welcome composer Mariano García, to teach the second level of Qlab, from 18 to 22 June, from 08:00 am to 03:00 pm. This programme is used to control lighting, sound and video in live shows.