Pontypridd-based Citrus Arts is offering the free course, equipping trainees with skills needed for a career in the creative industries
Citrus Arts, the Pontypridd-based arts and creative skills charity, is looking for young people between 18 and 30 interested in a new challenge or a career in the arts to join its free, arts technical skills training schemes.
Led by inspiring outdoor arts and circus tutors who work in a variety of arts fields across the UK, the courses will run from February to April 2025 at their base in Hopkinstown, Pontypridd, and will equip young people for a viable career in the arts.
Trainees will be paid the national living wage to attend and will get an introduction to circus rigging and counterweighting, lanterns, lighting and fire, welding, as well as festival infrastructure and production. They will also learn lots of other skills that can be used in the field of outdoor events and beyond.
Beth House, Executive Director at Citrus Arts, said: “We can’t wait to welcome our new cohort to the training scheme, which will mainly be held at our base in Hopkinstown Hall and in other outdoor locations.
“You don’t need any previous experience, but you do need to be interested in creating exciting outdoor events that bring communities together and be curious about how it all works.”
Beth added: “Our previous trainees have worked with some of the best arts organisations in Wales. In 2022, the young adults who trained with us ignited 1135 flames in the grounds of Tintern Abbey as part of Wye Valley Fest. They installed floating water lilies on the canal in Bute Park using kayaks and waders as part of the From the Fields Christmas event, taking social media by storm. And they were the highlight at Green Man Settlement, teaching hundreds of children to make poi, hoops and hone circus skills, resulting in Green Man Trust inviting us back for 2023 to run a Citrus Academy.
“We look to work with young people who may be disaffected with normal training opportunities and never considered the arts as a potential career. Many of them see arts engagement at all as something that’s “not for them” and shy away from the performance aspect of circus and the arts, and therefore assume that the creative industries are for someone else.
“We uncover trainees’ creative talents, channel them into practical areas of outdoor arts and introduce them to working in the landscape. We make the graft of outdoor arts a creative employment, inspiring and nurturing trainees at the start of potential career.”
Hannah Hunter took part in the training in last year. She said of her experience: “Citrus Arts are incredible at supporting their young people through their journey. Whether it is understanding personal circumstances, enabling networking opportunities, or just giving them opportunities to learn what they want to learn.
“As someone that learns far better on the job than by being sat down and assessed this was my dream. I could learn stuff I had been dying to learn whilst being paid.”
Hannah added: “The Artworkers’ course has impacted me in so many ways. I feel I have so much more knowledge of each core part of a production. But not only this I now understand all the routes I can go down in the arts, it has really opened my eyes to possibilities.”
To find out how to apply to any of Citrus’ courses, or for any questions you have, contact Beth on beth@citrusarts.co.uk or 07785 947823.
