Kurt’s dream job with stars at Stratford
Reporter: KAREN DOHERTY
Date published: 03 June 2011
Shakespearean ROLE: Kurt Moores
FORMER Oldham College student Kurt Moores has landed a dream job with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
The 18-year-old from Failsworth moves to Stratford today after he shone during work experience.
He completed an internship with Simon Bayliss, deputy head of lighting at the RSC, as part of his two-year entertainment technology course at the college.
Now he has been given a three-month contract as a stage hand which will include working on the current production of “Macbeth” starring Jonathan Slinger.
The former Failsworth School pupil believes that his work experience was crucial in securing the job and said: “It was a good opportunity. If I had just applied for a job I would never have got down there.
“I am the youngest technician at the RCS that I know of. It’s a great achievement and I can’t wait to start.”
Kurt has wanted to work in theatre since joining the former New Music amateur theatre company at the age of eight.
Initially keen on acting, he became interested in the technical side in his teens and would like to work on musical theatre and concerts in Manchester and London’s West End.
He also planned the lighting for the college’s awards evening and did work experience on the Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen and Newton Faulkner concerts in Manchester.
Praising the facilities at the college’s Grange Arts Centre, he added “The course was second to none. No other college has got a theatre like Grange. For us to be able to use that was fantastic.”
Course tutor David Hughes from Oldham College said: “As part of Kurt’s course he recently spent two and a half weeks on work placement in the lighting department of the RSC where his abilities were spotted.
“The relationship bet-ween the college and the RSC has developed well and, besides work placements, we now undertake annual workshops with their technical departments.
“In addition we have strong links with employers in theatres, the concert field and entertainment facilities companies.”
