4 replies to this topic

[Zebra]

Hello,

Just a couple of questions,

I've recently done the Illuminate course via Highlight, is there any point doing the BPA course? Is it the same thing, will I learn anything new, will employers be more impressed if I have both?

Also I am going to do one of the stage pyro courses on ASP, any feedback on if any of the companies are better/worse than the others? Or will I gain more contacts through certain ones? I was going to do it with backstage academy as this is the closest and the soonest, but it clashes with the date highlight are doing the southport championships which I could go and help on.... so do you think I should do it with another company?

Are there any other courses you can recommend?

Thanks for any advice

[barnsley-mark]

I did the ASP course with Just Fx - brilliant day, loved every minute of it

[bloater]

Some companies like BPA others Illuminate, others prefer there own training, at the end of the day it is down to the company your firing for a and there preference

[phildunford]

Lincoln Parkhouses stage pyro course has the same content wherever it is run, but price varies with venue. Brilliant course.

Some people still seem to say that a BPA qualification only applies to the company you take it with - others don't agree.

Illuminate is not tied to any company or organisation, but some pyro firms don't like illuminate! It's all a bit childish really, but we seem to be stuck with it at the moment.

Personally I would say go for all the training you can - whoever it is with...

[Arthur Brown]

If Highlight will give you work at a real show, especially having dome Illuminate's course get the experience! The ASP course is set and usually taught by Lincoln Parkhouse, who was instrumental in founding the ASP and runs his own pyro business, but it will be repeated somewhere witihin a few weeks, and near you in a few months.

The BPA qualifications are for firers and lead firers, and are usually tied to one company,
The Illuminate course is favoured by insurers as it goes into a lot more detaio of the regulations about operation a firework company.
Get both if you want, but beyond everything get real show firing site experience.