£12.21 per hour + £1.47 holiday pay
Advertising End Date
11 May 2025

Role & Department Overview

Please note: these internships are only available to current students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University.  If you apply for this role the information within your application will be shared with the recruiting organisation.

The Dukes theatre and cinema is dedicated to a diverse and high quality programme, telling stories that are relevant, fun, heart warming and electrifying.  The Dukes creates a sense of place that challenges, enthrals and excites their audiences, though live performance and great cinema in the heart of Lancaster.

Working with artists and communities, they stimulate opportunities for creative engagement as a creative hub, where people of all ages can discover their own creativity and be part of what makes our place great. The Dukes is a home for artists to create and connect; they reach out beyond their building into communities and new spaces, and through working with our partnerships, put culture and the arts at the heart of the Lancaster City region.
 
The Technical Assistant Internship will be focused primarily, but not exclusively, on the technical / stage management / costume preparations for The Dukes Summer Park Show in Williamson Park, Lancaster.  

The Technical Assistant Intern will be based in the Technical Department, which is part of the Production Team at The Dukes, and duties will include, for example, preparing, cleaning and repairing equipment, setting-up and taking-down equipment. The internship could cross-over with the wider Production Team, for example stage Management, costume and design construction, where some elements of prop-making, as an example, could be part of the role (e.g. painting and moulding).  

In the Technical Department the intern will work on a range of tasks. Initially they assist the whole team with unloading storage containers, sorting & allocating equipment according to the design plans. Following this they will be involved with testing the relevant equipment where they will be given instruction and get an insight into the different types and uses. 

For the Park Show, there are often special cables need making, lights & sound projects such as special effects. The intern will be involved with these and is often included in discussions on how these effects will be achieved. Again they gain an insight into the process through to the eventual outcomes. 

In the park itself, interns will assist with the installation of equipment and during technical rehearsals they will assist with setting up and taking down. 

As the Dukes is also a cinema, the technical team are responsible for the cinema equipment, preparation of content and screening of films. 

Previous interns have received training in these systems leading to having the opportunity to do these checks themselves and starting film screenings with audience present. 

Please submit a CV (maximum of two sides) and a Cover Letter (maximum one side) both tailored to the role.  

Interview Date: 27 May 2025
Preferred Start Date: 16 June 2025
End Date: 31 July 2025
Working pattern: 70 hours total, to be agreed between the successful candidate and The Dukes before commencement. 
Location: The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1QE

Job Description

Main Responsibilities:
 
  • Assisting with preparation & installation of lighting, sound & staging. 
  • Some shifts include operating our cinema systems. 
  • Working within the technical team. 
  • Preparing equipment, cleaning & repair of equipment. 
  • Setting up & taking down portable equipment used on our Park Show. 
  • Assisting with making of props / scenic items. 

Person Specification

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:
 
  • Preferred experience level: Some experience of teamwork, ideally a good interest in technical / backstage theatre or some level of experience either amateur / voluntary / professional in theatre, film or events. 
  • Skills required: Good time keeping & team player, knowledge or experience of lighting, sound, film production. Ability to work solo or within a team. Any practical experience such as making things, painting, construction are all relevant skills.
Working in this role will help develop the following experience and skills:
  • Resilience
  • Self-motivation
  • Teamwork
  • Time Management
  • Multi-tasking
  • Organisation
  • Perseverance
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Decisiveness

For any queries about this role please email [email protected]

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

You are required to submit a cover letter to support your application. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Please note: Unless specified otherwise in the advert wording, this role is only open to individuals living in the UK.

Under the terms of this work, we endeavour to provide the advertised number of hours however, hours are not guaranteed and that work may cease if there is a fall in demand. 

Adverts that display a closing date should be treated as a guide. We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

Help and advice on making applications can be found on the Lancaster University Careers pages. Visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers.