Title: Helpful Courses for Stage Managers During Social Distancing
It’s been quite a challenging time for everyone, and just chilling and doing nothing stressful can be a great idea. You’ve got time on your hands, and why not? Relax, read, go for long walks, or plug into some great podcasts. Learning to unwind is pretty important, especially for us stage managers.
But, if you’re tired of doing nothing and itching for something productive to do or learn during social distancing, here’s a list of cool, mostly free courses that can help improve your skills as a stage manager.
Free Courses:
1. **Animals in Disasters: Awareness and Preparedness** (Offered by FEMA) – This course helps you understand the basics of managing animals during emergencies, like an evacuation. Useful if you occasionally stage manage productions involving animals.
2. **Animals in Disaster: Community Planning** (Offered by FEMA) – It’s like a follow-up for the first course. This gives additional information on planning animal management in disasters.
3. **ETC Trainings** (Offered by Electronic Theatre Controls) – These are various online courses about troubleshooting and problem-solving with different lighting consoles. Some also give credits for continuing education.
4. **Fundamentals of Emergency Management** (Offered by FEMA) – This course guides you about basics of emergency responses and how to design and implement management plans in your community.
5. **The Science of Well-Being** (Offered by Yale via Coursera) – This course teaches the science of happiness and helps you understand how to make better life choices increasing your overall happiness.
Paid Courses:
1. **Event Safety Access Training** (Offered by Event Safety Alliance) – $69.96 A beginner’s course in health and safety. If you’ve never done or it’s been a while since any OSHA training, it’s a good re-introduction.
2. **National Safety Passport** (Offered by Essential Minimum Safety Standard) – £89.99 A basic global health and safety certificate from the UK. Interesting for those like me, working internationally.
3. **OSHA 10 – General Industry** (Offered by Occupational Health & Safety Administration) – $79.00 An entry-level health and safety training course.
4. **OSHA 30 – General Industry** (Offered by Occupational Health & Safety Administration) – $169.00 An in-depth health and safety training course for managers and supervisors.
And last but not least– they’re not official “certifications”– but make sure to get to know G Suite or Microsoft Office really well. They’re essential tools for stage managers.
So what have you guys been up to lately? Share what you’ve been doing or learning!