This week is National Apprenticeship Week, in 2021 we took on a group of Apprentices across a range of departments at Birmingham Hippodrome. This week we are highlighting some of the different roles across the theatre. Today we have our Visitor Services Assistant Alicia in the spotlight!

What is your title and which department do you work with?

My title is Visitor Services Assistant and I work in the Front of House Department.

What do you do?

As a Front of House member, I do a range of jobs such as helping to welcome visitors into the theatre, check and scan visitors’ tickets to shows, check people’s bags, work on auditorium doors, sell merchandise, programmes and ice creams and in the café area.

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

I chose to do an apprenticeship as I hope to gain as much experience as possible within a customer service role. I have never worked in a customer service job before and was very interested in going down that route of being able to interact with the public and have the chance to make someone’s theatre experience even better. By doing an apprenticeship, I hope to gain an even bigger insight into the industry in hopes that it makes me as employable as possible.

Why did you want to work for Birmingham Hippodrome?

I wanted to work for Birmingham Hippodrome as it’s a theatre I have loved coming to for years, I have seen many shows here over the years such as Hairspray, Wicked, War Horse and Joseph. Each time I visited the Hippodrome as a customer, I always had such a positive experience with staff. I remember being made to feel welcome each time, this stuck with me especially as I used to come and watch shows on my own. I love how big the theatre is and have always wanted to work in a theatre anyway, each time I visited a theatre, the thought “I’d love to work here” always entered my head. So as soon as I saw the opportunity, I jumped straight for it.

What has been your favourite moment so far?

I have had so many great experiences so far whilst doing my apprenticeship, but my favourite moment has to be the closing of Panto Goldilocks & The Three Bears. The atmosphere was just fantastic and it made me emotional to realise what a fantastic group of people I get to work with every single day. We had a group photo taken with a couple of the managers and we were all thanked for all of our hard work over the Christmas period. The managers recognising people’s hard work is amazing and I just remember feeling so blessed that I get to work here.

What is something you have learnt whilst on the job?

I have learnt so many things and skills whilst doing the job so far. I have learnt people skills, I have always been shy when speaking to people. Since working at the hippodrome, I have learnt that I can be myself and my confidence has really come along way.

What are you looking forward to?

I am looking forward to seeing the range of shows that the Hippodrome will have on, getting to learn about the different genres of performances, seeing the difference with the merchandise and meeting even more people.

Which show are you most looking forward to working on?

The show I am most looking forward to working on is Beauty & The Beast as I’m a huge Disney fan myself.