Sparkling lights, cheery music, the smell of popcorn, cotton candy, and crisp churros floating through the air — bright colors, immersive worlds, elaborate spectacles from dawn past dusk. This is the imagery that’s conjured up when theme parks and other immersive experiences are discussed: fun, frivolity, and above all a disconnection from the real world.…
The nature of modern employment, particularly in the experiential entertainment industry, is incredibly fluid–and becoming more so all the time. Few people can expect to be in one job for life. In many ways, that’s a positive thing. You can look forward to a long and rewarding career. You just need to embrace a continuous state of learning, upskilling, and reskilling.
I tell my students consistently that if you want to succeed in industry (any industry) you have to have more than the technical ability to work within a specific skillset. You must continually practice and develop dispositional skills such as the ability to community with others, be adaptable to different situations and be willing to learn and grow. In education, we call this having a growth mindset.
Two new educational opportunities have launched to prepare students for the field of Themed Entertainment. The Computer Graphics Technology program in the Department of Computer Information and Graphics Technology at IUPUI has launched both an 18-credit certificate and a 15-credit minor in Themed Entertainment Design.
Themed attraction and experience design company Katapult have launched a new homeschooling workbook for children, to inspire creativity and consider a career in the leisure and attractions industry in the future.