Arcadia's Pengea 2019

For the second year running, NRG teamed up with the creative team at Arcadia to offer NRG crew members the chance to work on Arcadia’s brand new Glastonbury installation.

The Arcadia crew are known globally for their out- of-the-world installations, and this year’s Glastonbury saw the birth of a brand new installation – Pangea. Pushing the boundaries of creativity, two members of Robe’s NRG were invited to join Arcadia on the top secret build and subsequent reveal.

Jasmine Williams (RWCMD graduate), and Jake Paige (studying at Rose Bruford) travelled to Somerset for a roller coaster of an experience.

Arcadia’s Technical Production Manager Dorian Cameron-Marlow explains why they reached out to students engaged with NRG. “A huge part of our ethos is about supporting the next generation - keeping fresh energy and ideas flowing, maintaining a cycle of opportunity, and exploring new ways to co-operate. Robe’s NRG is such a great programme and we want to do what we can to encourage that kind of thinking across the industry.”

Jasmine was thrilled. “This was an incredible opportunity to work on one of the most creative installations at Glastonbury. I learnt more than I could have imagined. Working on such a large scale project has provided me with a wealth of knowledge and understanding which I can take forward in my career. The Arcadia crew were fantastic – pushing me, taking the time to help me learn new ways of working, enabling me to better judge what is required in a pressurised environment, working at a faster pace and how to balance work and play! The experience built my confidence and increased my passion for working on innovative, creative projects that challenge limits and provide a unique experience for crew and festival-goers.”

Jake agrees. “Without NRG I wouldn't have grown into the person I am now and these amazing opportunities would never have been accessible to me. I’ve taken so much wisdom and knowledge away with me from being on site with Arcadia. It’s been incredible to see all the backstage workings of a huge festival at this stage in my career.”

Dorian sums up having NRG crew members on his team. “Working with students who are part of NRG the past two years has been a pleasure. All of the students are very talented, hard-working and eager to learn with a keen eye for detail. They all have strong futures ahead and I am certain our relationship with Robe and the NRG will continue as Pangea evolves organically over the next few years.”