THEATRE TECHS GIVING BACK

​​Do you have the time and resources to give back?  Would you like to have the most life changing experience on a ship?  This isn’t about cruise ships, but about very unique and admirable ships; Mercy Ships.
 
Mercy Ships are hospital ships that are filled with state-of-the-art medical equipment and a volunteer crew of medical professionals who are “driven by mercy” to help make the world a better, healthier place for all.  Globally, 5 billion people lack access to safe surgery, and since over 50% of the world’s population lives near a coast, Mercy Ships are the best way to reach people in need. But where do you come in? How do theatre technicians fit into the world of operating theatres?

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​While Mercy Ships are first and foremost floating hospitals, they are also floating cities.  Medical professionals, patients, their families, and other volunteers need to be fed (cue cooks and servers), long-stay children (of both volunteers and patients) need to be educated (cue teachers), laundry needs to be done, hair needs to be cut, a library with board games and movies needs to be accessible, as does a weight room (cue all sorts of professionals!), and the volunteers and patients need to be entertained and informed!  Cue you!
 
Among the variety of volunteers that Mercy Ships needs to operate (and operate!) is AV technicians.  Here’s a portion of the role’s description:
 
The Audio Visual Technician is responsible for the operation and maintenance of audio and visual equipment in the venues and video conferencing across the ship. The AV Technician is responsible for:

• Ensuring that the AV equipment in the various venues and public viewing areas is operational for regular meetings and special events. (Not mentioned here is also the entertainment events, such as the annual talent show!)
• Facilitating the repair or replacement of any non functioning AV equipment and the installation of new AV equipment.
• Maintaining documentation of AV systems, records, logs and procedures.
• And, if the lighting instruments seen above the stage (see photo) are anything to go by, the technician also has to have a knowledge of programming moving lights!

 
Sound familiar?  There is a 3-month minimum commitment, but I bet it will be the most rewarding 3 months of your career!
 
To learn more:
 
About Mercy Ships
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQcbE2w-oFY&t=217s
 
Emma from Emma Cruises visits a Mercy Ship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3bZBl9KZXI
 
To apply:
https://opportunities.mercyships.org/information-technology/av-technician/
 
Please Like and Comment – I’d love to hear from you! Thanks!
 
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