12 replies to this topic

[phildunford]

I've just been on the JustFX stage pyro 'Practical Pyrotechnics - Safety Awareness' course.

The company has no connection with UKPS, but I would like to personally endorse this course, as an excellent, value for money day for anyone who has to deal with stage or event pyro. It also gets you automatic membership of The Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians.

It's delivered by a larger than life character called Lincoln Parkhouse (no really!) who is very well known in the industry. It's full of useful information and there is a great deal of 'hands-on' content. As well as being split into small groups (5 -6) to wire up and fire items under the critical gaze of your peers you get to wire up a mini show that is fired at the end of the course.

It's held at different venues around the country several times a year.

Details here:course dates

The course I attended was at the Corn Exchange Brighton - part of the Dome Pavillion Brighton, and yes, it was us that set off the smoke alarms and caused the evacuation of the whole complex!

Here is a video of the mini show: Youtube

Edited by phildunford, 14 June 2010 - 09:14 AM.

[crystal palace fireworks]

Phil,

How much did the course cost?

[phildunford]

Phil,

How much did the course cost?

£65 bargain! Don't know how they do it, as they must pay venue hire & there were three of them there...

Were 33 on the course though.

Edited by phildunford, 15 June 2010 - 02:53 PM.

[Arthur Brown]

That particular course was exceptionally cheap! £65 vs the normal £150, so there needed to be more people to cover all the costs. The course runs across the country wherever someone has the need and the venue. Given enough takers the society can host a course -usual teaching team from the ASP.

http://www.stage-pyr....php?readmore=5 will give you the list of courses.

[phildunford]

The possibility of running one under UKPS banner did occur, but we would need a serious venue for the scale of stuff they do! The next one is at the Fairfield Halls I think...

[Pyro-centric]

Sounds and looks very interesting, but sadly as ever, the nearest they get to the west country, the real bit, ie Devon or Cornwall is.....Basingstoke! Most bands now can't find there way past Bristol. Steps down and kicks soap box to one side.

[Lincoln-Just FX]

Sounds and looks very interesting, but sadly as ever, the nearest they get to the west country, the real bit, ie Devon or Cornwall is.....Basingstoke! Most bands now can't find there way past Bristol. Steps down and kicks soap box to one side.

A little unjustified as we have travelled full length of the UK with this "labour of love"...

Amersham - Amersham & Wycombe College
Banbury - Arts Centre
Belfast - Odyssey Arena
Belfast - Odyssey Arena
Birmingham - Alexandra Theatre
Birmingham - Hippodrome Theatre
Birmingham - National Exhibition Centre
Birmingham - National Indoor Arena
Birmingham - Old Rep Theatre
Birmingham - Repertory Theatre
Blackpool - Grand Theatre
Brighton - Corn Exchange
Bristol - Hippodrome Theatre
Camberley - Theatre
Cambridge - Arts Theatre
Cardiff - New Theatre
Cardiff - Wales Millennium Centre
Carlisle - Sands Centre
Carmarthen - Lyric Theatre
Chesham - Amersham & Wycombe College
Coventry - Warwick Arts Centre
Croydon - Fairfield/Ashcroft Theatre
Dudley - Brierley Hill Civic Hall
Edinburgh - Kings Theatre
Edinburgh - Festival Theatre
Edmonton - Millfield Theatre
Falmouth - Princess Theatre
Glasgow - Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Glasgow - Scottish Exhibition Conference Centre
Isle of Wight - Medina Theatre
Isle of Wight - Ryde Theatre
Leeds - Grand Theatre
Lincoln - Engine Shed
Liverpool - Echo Arena
London - Apollo Theatre
London - Arts Depot Finchley
London - Cambridge Theatre
London - Central School of Speech & Drama
London - Earls Court
London - Embassy Theatre
London - Greenwood Theatre
London - Her Majesty's Theatre
London - Lyric Theatre
London - Mountview Theatre School
London - New Wimbledon Theatre
London - O2 Arena - IndigO2
London - Queen Elizabeth Hall
London - Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
London - Royal Albert Hall
London - Royal Opera House
Loughborough - Laser Centre
Loughborough - Students Union Centre
Lytham - Lowther Pavilion
Manchester - Bridgewater Hall
Newcastle - Theatre Royal
Norwich - City College
Nottingham - Trent FM Arena
Oxford - The Theatre at Headington
Plymouth - Theatre Royal 2
Pontypridd - Muni Arts Centre
Potters Bar - Wyllyots Theatre
Reading - Hexagon Theatre
Sheffield - Crucible Theatre
Sidcup - Rose Bruford College
Southsea - Kings Theatre
St Albans - Alban Arena
Stratford upon Avon - RSC Courtyard Theatre
Taunton - Brewhouse Theatre
Torquay - Princess Theatre
Truro - Hall for Cornwall
Tunbridge Wells - Assembly Hall Theatre
Wakefield - Quest Nightclub
Warwick - Bridge House Theatre
Worthing - Northbrook College
Yeovil - Octagon Theatre

Edited by Lincoln-Just FX, 17 June 2010 - 10:42 AM.

[dogsbody]

ok, so we have plymouth, yeovil, Taunton, Torquay, Truro, cardiff and Bristol so we do have a few in the SW

I can see where PC is coming from as the link given above doesnt include any of the places mentioned in the SW. Are you able to provide any dates for these venues? (presuming you havent already been and done these)

many thanks

[Lincoln-Just FX]

ok, so we have plymouth, yeovil, Taunton, Torquay, Truro, cardiff and Bristol so we do have a few in the SW

I can see where PC is coming from as the link given above doesnt include any of the places mentioned in the SW. Are you able to provide any dates for these venues? (presuming you havent already been and done these)

many thanks

The link is "current courses" and the list is the places that we have done the courses already.

We don't actually host or totally arrange these courses, just facilitate them when requested by the likes of Stage Electrics, Whitelight, ABTT, etc etc. However if you and/or UKPS wanted to host/have a course locally and can get enough people together and a suitable venue, we shall be very happy to come and do one.

Nothing would please us more than to provide at least one annual UKPS hosted National course... have a word!

Kindest
Lincoln

Edited by Lincoln-Just FX, 17 June 2010 - 11:09 AM.

[phildunford]

Good job I did not say anything rude about Lincoln eh?

We will certainly look into the possiblility of running a course under our banner.

With the numbers we are likely to be able to muster, we would need to find a serious professional theatre that would let us have the venue for next to nothing - or preferable nothing! Lincoln suggests that this can sometimes be done by offering free places to the theatres techs - good idea...

I do have quite enough going on at the moment and will have to persue this later in the year, but if anyone does have a relationship with a suitable venue (check the video to see the sort of scale needed) do please let me know.

[Arthur Brown]

Lincoln may be "new member" by the number of posts, but he's been on here since 4-June 03!

Yes a forum/society course would be nice, the size of hall needed is BIG so there will be costs, but if about 30 people will pay money then the individual cost is quite OK.

Could also be held in a sports hall or big warehouse, just MUST have a suitably controllable alarm system.

If anyone in the south west wants to host a course, or has a venue that the society could use to host a course then feel free to add a post with a town name.

[phildunford]

Having had a chat with Lincoln, there are ways and means to accomplish this at a reasonable price.

However, as stated above, it's not my number one priority at the moment, but very much on my radar...

[starseeker]

Sounds and looks very interesting, but sadly as ever, the nearest they get to the west country, the real bit, ie Devon or Cornwall is.....Basingstoke! Most bands now can't find there way past Bristol. Steps down and kicks soap box to one side.

Us south west pyros just have to be prepared to travel now and again,makes it a bit more of a adventure.