Meet Our Mentee - AMPLIFY 2022
AMPLIFY is a Tangle talent development programme.
Amplify provides paid mentoring and workplace training opportunities for freelancers at any professional stage to develop and enrich their technical careers.
The programme offers access to a supportive community of expert industry mentors, the Tangle team and its alumni, who meet regularly to check in on their progress, ask questions, and seek and share advice.
Kicking off our 2021/22 programme, we are thrilled to introduce Brent Tan as our newest AMPLIFY mentee.
Brent Tan
Brent is a Production/Stage Manager in training at LAMDA.
He has an interest in Immersive Theatre and touring. He believes in building a strong foundation in technical skills to support his craft.
In the future, he aspires to be a producer that dives into interactive theatre.
In the next months, he will be working with Anna Coombs & Mark Dakin, who will support him on devising his own programme. He will also receive advice and training from mentors from Tangle’s Amplify community, selected according to his working plan.
Mark Dakin has worked with a wide range of high-profile venues including National Theatre, The Young Vic, ENO and Bristol Old Vic. He is currently Technical Director at the Royal Opera House.
We had a catch up with Brent after his first session with his mentors to discuss his hopes for the future, previous achievements, and how he responds to criticism and rejection in the competitive theatre industry.
Tell us a little bit about your background and what attracted you to AMPLIFY ONLINE.
I have been in theatre for about 8 years and running. There is always something special about live performances and the magic that theatre brings to audiences. I have always loved the creative outlook and the fulfilment of seeing audience take away something from a performance.
I started by crewing and just observing how everyone plays a part to make it all work. I’ve stage-managed multiple shows, and now I want to transition into production management where I can have a strong foundation in technical skills. Amplify will provide the support I need to push forward with my career. In the future, I have a keen interest to produce shows as well.
What was it that drew you to your chosen mentor?
Mark Dakin has the repertoire of skills I feel would best support me in this journey. His vast set of experience can guide my choices and he is a good listener who is able to process my thoughts and reason through discussions.
Best piece of advice when facing rejection or discouragement?
Never Give Up.
Every little effort counts.
It’s always the little things that make the biggest difference.
Every rejection can be a building block to a breakthrough.
Even if it takes two weeks, five months, ten years to achieve your goal, every effort pays off.
What is your career highlight so far?
Being able to work in theatre productions whilst I am a student in training.
I am always very encouraged when colleagues believe in my abilities and invest in the potential of being able to work in this industry. As a student, I often feel under-equipped; to be able to work on professional theatre productions while I learn and am prone to making mistakes says a lot about the support the industry provides.
What is your career dream?
Being a producer that dives into making immersive and interactive theatre. My interest is in bringing a place, a culture, a feeling to audiences and creating new experiences. Also, just as how I’m being supported by Tangle, I hope to inspire the next generation to do the same.