INPUT
A Helping Hand
Robert Vernon on CITT/ICTS’s New Mentorship Program
CITT/ICTS
is rolling out a new mentorship program for its
members, beginning with a roundtable discus-
sion and subsequent breakout sessions at the
upcoming edition of Rendez-vous. Hosting those
sessions is Robert Vernon, who boasts a long and
varied career in theatrical and event production.
Vernon is a former CITT/ICTS president and
chair of its Ontario section and currently works
as a scenic constructor at The Shaw Festival in
Niagara-on-the-Lake. He joins us here to speak
about the new program, developed in tandem
with former CITT/ICTS Presidents Michael Harris
and Graham Frampton, with plenty of input from
the membership.
PS: First off, tell me about CITT/ICTS’s
mentorship program and what informed
the decision to launch a formal program like
this at this point in time.
RV: The idea of the program is not new to
the CITT/ICTS. It is something that we have
considered at various times throughout our
25-year history. Early in the institute’s incarnation,
we did not have the resources to expedite this
ambitious endeavor.
The goals are two-fold. First, to provide a
resource for emerging professionals building
their careers in entertainment production, and
second, for long-serving individuals to give
something back to the industry.
At Rendez-vous 2015 in Vancouver, then
President Michael Harris announced that it
would be his goal in his last year in office to
establish the program. At that conference, a
parallel session on transferring the knowledge
and skills to the next generation of theatre techs
established that the membership had the drive
and the interest to pursue this. At Rendez-vous
2016 in Winnipeg, a working group was estab-
lished to look at the specifics of instituting such a
program. A second working group session at the
Ontario Section – Ignition 2017 event further re-
fined what we expected to do with the program
PS: What makes mentorship an important
initiative for the theatre technology indus-
try specifically?
RV: As stated previously, the broader goals of
providing guidance to people considering or
just starting their careers and the satisfaction for
established practitioners to help those individu-
als. The working group discussions expanded on
this to define mentoring as a two-way exchange
of information – long-term professionals also
learning from new workers. It will be of value to
the established career technician who is looking
for advice and encouragement to change
their career path. An important aspect of the
mentoring program is to provide the emerging
entertainment crafts person the opportunity to
see how the training they have received, be it
in a formal educational scenario or on-the-job,
relates to practical work scenarios.
PS: At which point in their careers should
budding theatre technicians consider work-
ing with a mentor to further their careers?
RV: We all have had mentors in our lives; for
most it was a teacher or teachers who took
specific interest in us and what we were learning.
Others didn’t find that until they started their
careers and found a supervisor or experienced
co-worker willing to take on that role. It depends
on the individual to determine when they are
ready to seek a mentor.
PS: What are your goals for the mentorship
sessions at Rendez-vous 2017? Who would
you like to see in attendance and what
are you hoping they take away from the
experience?
RV: My personal goal for Rendez-vous is to see
a formalization of the mentoring process. In
past conferences, mentoring has taken place in
an informal setting with delegates hooking up
with one another on an ad hoc basis. My plan for
the mentoring session is to establish guidelines
for being a mentor or mentee and to see the
mentoring dynamic extend outside of the con-
ference. It is my hope to see CITT/ICTS viewed
less in the light of the technology of entertain-
ment and more of the people of entertainment
production.
PS: How can CITT/ICTS members or
potential members get involved with this
initiative?
RV: Three ways. First, attend Rendez-vous 2017
in Saint John, NB. Second, the national office is
developing a new section of our website where
members and interested parties can learn about
mentoring and identify the areas for which they
would like to be a mentor or mentee. Finally, they
can contact their section and ask to bring the
mentorship program to their region.
PS: Why should potential mentors get
involved in the program, and what types of
traits are ideal for mentors from CITT/ICTS’s
perspective?
RV: The short answer to this question is the
CITT/ICTS tagline, “Connecting the Live Perfor-
mance Industry.” The Institute was founded on
the premise of networking for professionals
across Canada. Given the vastness of the country,
networking is vital for the health and well-being
of the industry in Canada. Individuals can use
networking to become known in the industry
and thus build their careers.
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 9
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 9