ASDP Mentorship Scheme

The Mentorship Scheme is open to Professional, Future Professional, NCO and Associate members of the ASDP and aims to connect anyone working, preparing to work, or in enforced pause from work in theatre sound, to helpful and inspiring one on one conversations with peers or mentors.

Whether you are a future professional looking for advice on how to shape your career aims, a professional looking for peer to peer learning on a specific area of interest, or conversations to spark new ideas, the mentorship scheme can match and connect you with like-minded, or experienced sound professionals from across the community, for useful conversation, practical help and unique insight.

There is no defined format for communication. This may take the form of emails, phone calls, online video interactions or on the job shadowing.

As of 2023 there is financial support available for some Mentor/Mentee programs. This is by application, details of which can be found below.

Is becoming a Mentee the right step for you?

Are you looking to improve your skill set in a given area, new to the industry, looking to sidestep in role, wanting to move up and on but don’t know how? A period of mentorship can help you find the skills and confidence to progress your career.

To undertake a period of mentoring through the ASDP, you need to be committed to sound in theatre and live events as a career.  That doesn’t mean you need to have extensive professional experience, but you must have identified specific experiences that you can bring to discuss with your mentor and scenarios that you would like assistance with. 

The process might include the mentor focusing on your overall development and aspirations, on a specific project or on developing a set of skills. You may also like help to identify critical issues that impact your professional and personal success.

A mentor can:

• offer an opportunity to shadow and learn
  
• help develop specific skills
• provide professional and personal support
• coach the mentee to make the most of their talents
• help you find your own solutions, but provide some advice and expertise
• act as a sounding board
  
• listen and challenge
  
• provide feedback
  

It is important to have an idea about what you might want to achieve from a mentoring relationship. This might be general objectives like how to find work work, or how to develop a certain skill, for example how to communicate more effectively with directors.

There is no fixed time that mentoring relationships are expected to last, this is entirely a matter for you and your mentor to decide. 

Mentorship is only available to ASDP members. Please apply for membership here.