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Basic course, main course and alternation between school and practice
If you are considering becoming a theatre, event and AV technician, it is good to know how the course is structured before you start. The education is a vocational education, and like most other vocational educations it is built on an alternation between school and practice: you learn the subject matter at a vocational school and then use it in a real company, where you are involved in setting up sound, lighting and stage for real events.
§The Four Parts of the Course
The education is divided into a basic course and a main course. The basic course falls again into two parts — basic course 1 and basic course 2 — and the main course is where you really specialise and go out on an apprenticeship.
| Part | Where | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Vocational school. | Broad intro course to the main area. Designed for you coming more or less directly from compulsory school. |
| Basic course 2 | Vocational school. | More specifically targeted at theatre, event and AV subjects. Here you work with basic technology within sound, light and stage. |
| Main course | Alternates between school and apprenticeship | You are employed in a company and attend school during periods. This is where you choose and train toward your level or specialty. |
Basic course 1 typically lasts about half a year, and so does basic course 2. If you come later in life or already have some experience, you can sometimes skip basic course 1 and start directly on basic course 2 — it depends on your background and the school.
§How long does it take?
The total duration depends on whether you finish at level 1 or go the full way to a specialty. Level 1, called theatrical, event and audio-visual technical production assistant, takes around 2½ years in total. If you instead choose to continue to one of the specialties, the total program becomes longer — up to about 4½ years.
§Alternation between school and practical training
When you have entered the main course you are an apprentice in a company – it could be a theatre an event company a rental company with sound and light equipment or another workplace in the industry. You work daily with experienced technicians and come to school in school periods where you catch up on the theory and try out new techniques in safe surroundings.
- 01At school, you learn the basic craft, safety, and the theory behind the technique
- 02In the company you use it in practice on real tasks and productions
- 03School periods and internships alternate to the point where you are academically ready for the journeyman exam
§Admission and access requirements
To start a vocational education directly from primary school you must have passed primary school's leaving exam and in principle have at least 2.0 on average in both Danish and mathematics. If you don't meet the grade requirement there are other ways in — for example via an entrance exam and interview at the school. If you come as an adult or with work experience different and often more flexible rules apply.
“You don't need to know everything about sound and light before you start — that's the whole point of going in training.”