USITT Approves New Round of Rigging Safety Schools

USITT has approved funding for free stage rigging inspections and safety training at 12 more schools via its Rigging Safety Initiative.

Of those schools, five were recent applicants to the program and seven applied previously and were awaiting approval for funding. A USITT panel of rigging experts determines when applicants are approved based on need, safety concerns, and available funds.

USITT will continue approving funding for about a dozen schools each spring and fall as long as sponsorships and donations keep the program alive, says USITT executive director David Grindle.

The current RSI sponsors are JR Clancy, ETC, Shepard Exposition Services, H&H Specialties -- and individual donors!

The newly approved schools that can now get free inspections from an ETCP-certified rigger and four to six hours of safety training are:

• East Buchanan Schools in Winthrop, Iowa.
• Middleton High School in Middleton, Wisconsin.
• White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia.
• Triad High School in Troy, Illinois.
• Adena High School in Frankfort, Ohio.
• Tippecanoe High School in Tipp City, Ohio.
• East Rochester Union Free School District Jr-Sr High School in East Rochester, New York.
• Chautauqua Lake Secondary School in Chautauqua, New York.
• Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas.
• George Bush High School in Richmond, Texas.
• Cleveland High School in Portland, Oregon.
• Howard W. Blake School of the Arts in Tampa, Florida.
The RSI has approved applications from over 100 schools in 25 states since it began in 2011. School drama instructors and auditorium managers say the program fills a huge need.

Of the latest round of schools, most said their stage rigging hadn't been inspected in recent memory. One reported its rigging system was installed in 1996 and its last inspection was in 1996. "This space desperately needs an overhaul," the theatre director wrote.

Besides donating to provide inspections and training for school stages, USITT also needs rigging companies to sign on as sponsors to perform inspections at reduced rates. USITT also supports other rigging safety programs, including a new series of master classes in memory of Jay O. Glerum slated to begin next year.

To donate to USITT's Rigging Safety Initiative, visit the link below.