If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a technician at a rock concert, the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology of British Columbia will be hosting a four-day workshop at the ACT Arts Centre, starting Jan. 4.
Participants will learn the technical side of a live event, including sound, lighting, stage and rigging. They will learn how to use the digital equipment used in a live show, as well as sound consoles and lighting equipment.
“They get experience on some high-grade equipment. We bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gear,” said CITT BC treasurer Alex House.
Then on Jan. 7, participants will use all the skills they’ve learned for a live show at the ACT.
Headlining the show will be Liquid, a rock cover band from the Lower Mainland. Everybody in the band sings lead and backup vocals and they play classic songs that take advantage of their two guitar lineup.
Opening for them will be Dawson Rutledge, a 19-year-old singer and songwriter from Cranbrook.
Rutledge alternates between acoustic and electric guitars, playing a kick-drum and tambourine set up at his feet. His style has been compared to that of American artist Shakey Graves, a cross between blues, folk and rock.
He has been playing guitar since age 10 and singing in choirs since he was eight.
Mandatory for the workshops will be comfortable closed-toe shoes and pants or shorts that go past the knee. And you should be prepared to crawl around and get dusty.
For the show, participants must wear black pants.
This is the second time the workshop has been held at the ACT.
Tickets for the Tech-Nique 2017 Workshop are $100. The workshops run from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Jan. 4, 5 and 6. On Jan. 7, the concert day, the workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. and dinner will be provided. You must attend all four workshops.
The concert takes place at 8 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the ACT, 11944 Haney Place in Maple Ridge.
Tickets for the concert are $10 for adults and $5 for those 24 and under.
• For more information, call 604-476-2787 or go to www.theactmapleridge.org.