TAFE SA graduate Zander Lee’s quest for “lived experience” has taken them from the front of the classroom to behind the scenes at the Adelaide Festival Centre in less than 12 months and opened the door to a new career.
A former drama teacher turned lighting technician, Zander has been working on some of the country’s most popular stage productions and is preparing for a busy Adelaide Festival season.
There have been several ‘pinch me’ moments for Zander since putting their teaching career on hold and enrolling in the Live Production and Technical Services course at TAFE SA’s Adelaide College of the Arts (AC Arts) two years ago.
One of those moments came in December when Zander was named Australian Vocational Student of the Year for 2024, an award that recognises their commitment to training and skill development.
“When I was in Canberra for the awards, I remember being on stage with the other finalists and in that moment thinking ‘I’m so proud to be here as a finalist’ and I was not expecting to win but I thought, ‘This is amazing, I deserve to be here, I’ve really committed to my studies and I’m working in industry’,” Zander says.
Encouraged to nominate for the SA Training Awards by their lecturers, Zander was successful in winning the state Vocational Student of the Year award before progressing to the national awards.
Zander says each step in the process, which included a written application and interviews with a panel of judges, provided a chance to reflect on their journey so far.
“For me, the biggest learning from the reflection is that the world is full of opportunities and this training is literally the key to a hundred doors in the arts industry,” they say.
Zander joined the Live Production and Technical Services course at AC Arts in 2023, armed with school production experience gained over 15 years as a teacher and a determination to learn their craft “properly”.
“I loved being a drama teacher, but I wanted to feel like I was teaching from lived experience and I’d never worked in industry, so I wanted to take a chance and go and get some,” they say.
“From the get-go I was invested in my learning at TAFE SA. I knew I had some existing skills, but I wanted to fill the gaps in my knowledge and learn best practice.”
While still studying Zander scored a casual role with the Michael Cassel Group, working on Mary Poppins at the Adelaide Festival Centre in July and August 2023.
“Musicals are a passion and for me, the number one thing coming into theatre was I wanted to work on big musicals, so to be living that dream, it was ‘pinch myself’ every day turning up to work,” Zander says.
While teaching will always be important, Zander, who is now employed by the Adelaide Festival Centre, says their current focus is on honing their skills to be the best technician they can be.
“Lighting is the passion at the moment. I love how it creates an atmosphere on stage and also helps direct the audience, so it’s a practical tool as well.”
“I’ve made a commitment to myself to solidify my skills as a technician. I’m still learning new things every day – we work across four theatres and with different productions all the time.”
In the weeks ahead, Zander will be putting their skills to work on upcoming opera, Innocence, and the Australian theatre premiere of Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare, while also embracing their role as a Vocational Education and Training (VET) ambassador.
“As a VET Student of the Year, my goal is to be a connection to schools and industry – be an ambassador and use my previous connections,” they say.
“I want to show young people that they can have a solid career in something they’re passionate about without having to go to university because TAFE offers the training and skills they need to get into the workforce.”