Arena Down Rigging

Experienced stagehands will learn the skills and techniques of concert arena down rigging. This 8-hour workshop includes a lecture with PowerPoint slides and frequent breaks to do hands-on exercises in a learning environment that allows us to examine our techniques in slow motion and practice in real-time. This class is customized for each group of students and the best practices used in their venues. Although this kind of work is usually done in an arena with very high steel beams, the class is designed to be taught in a convention hall with simulated exercises that can be controlled from the ground.

What sets this class apart is that we focus on the practical skills needed to be an effective down rigger the first time the student enters the show floor. We address rigging theory, which is absolutely necessary for head riggers and designers, but spend the majority of our time getting our students ready to actually rig. The workshop was designed with two goals in mind. The first, of course, is to train new down riggers and to provide a practical base for all riggers to build upon for training of future up riggers. The second is to give experienced riggers, up and down, an opportunity to get on the same page, refresh their skills, strengthen their trust in each other, and nail down their local policies.