Shedrack goes upSTAGE

Shedrack Worrell is the founder of events company upSTAGEvents, where he helps clients to transform their ideas into show-stopping productions.

But, at one point, Worrell struggled to make his own dreams a reality.

In an interview with Sunday Newsday, Worrell shared how he felt stifled in secondary school by the monotony of studying subjects he had no interest in.

“Ever since I knew myself, since form five, I have always been on this deep quest of finding who am I and who I want to be.

“I knew I’d like the creative world, in terms of just being able to think about ideas and bringing them to life,” said Worrell.

During his time at St Benedict’s College, San Fernando, Worrell wanted to do theatre arts, but the subject was not offered.

So, he settled on business and science subjects for CSEC. While Worrell did well enough in his exams, he did not feel fulfilled.

It was in sixth form that Worrell would have a change of luck when the school hired its first drama teacher, Keegan Miguel, who he persuaded to start a drama club.

But Worrell would soon hit another obstacle.

While he helped create the school’s drama club and thought acting would be the avenue for his creative talents, Miguel thought otherwise. His teacher said he was better suited for the role of stage manager in the drama club’s productions.

“I really didn’t know what a stage manager was but if I got to be an active part of the club, I was willing to accept it,” said Worrell.

Little did he know that the opportunity would be the start of his journey into events management.

“When I got to the point of graduating (from sixth form), I realised I enjoyed stage management. I felt as though I found my talent.

“I remember doing some research about stage management in TT and careers revolving around that.”

Through his research, Worrell discovered the UWI St Augustine campus’s Department of Creative and Festive Arts (DCFA).

Still, Worrell struggled to find a degree that matched his enthusiasm for stage management until being advised to do a degree in Carnival Studies.

While he first questioned the degree because of its name, Worrell realised the range of courses was what he was looking for. The degree offered studies on festivals, events management, and business for the arts.

“I worked simultaneously on different things which is why my resume is so packed. And, back then I was hungry (to learn more) and passionate,” said Worrell as he described his UWI experience.

While studying, Worrell worked in several event management companies and volunteered for Carnival shows, including Presentation College’s PREStige all-inclusive fete and Kes Tuesday on the Rocks.

Worrell said he gained insight into how large-scale events, like fetes, operated.

“I knew I always wanted to be very diverse in my career approach so, through doing stage management, I realised that a lot of stage management involved communications.

“I would have stumbled upon communications in UWI. I then decided that my plans were to do festivals and events management, under the umbrella of Carnival Studies, while doing communications.”

During Worrell’s third year at UWI, he added a communications major to his studies which meant he had to spend an extra year in UWI.

Although it was a difficult decision, especially as his friends graduated before him, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make for his later success.

However, Worrell’s most important decision was made in his second year of studies when he decided to start a company.

He had no solid plan or source of funding but was determined to make it a reality.

Working in an auditing company, to support his studies, Worrell learned about the development driven approach of companies which focused heavily on structure.

“Working in a corporate company helped shape my perspective, on my career, a lot.

“I saw how I can have the best of both worlds in terms of adding my creativity and harnessing my knowledge as a professional.”

It was this experience that inspired Worrell to create upSTAGEvents in November 2016.

But soon after, “I decided to put it on hold because of self-doubt and school.”

“I began to feel discouraged about the whole idea of doing business because I was so overwhelmed with school and doing work for other companies.”

Worrell also began asking himself how he would fund the idea and if he would be able to make a sustainable living.

One month later, Worrell received a call from what would be upSTAGEvents’ first client.

The task? To help transform a parang event.

Motivated once again, Worrell invested the money he made into the company.

Worrell admitted that it took a while for the business to be profitable as he invested all his early revenue into growing the business.

With help from his sister, he registered the business in 2017.

Under the upSTAGEvents brand, Worrell has since been part of the production of events like spoken word shows, Carnival fetes, brand launches, Christmas dinners, weddings, and corporate events.

However, Worrell is most proud of the events helped produced for the UWI which includes several editions of the Miss UWIverse pageant and UWI Guild Fest which is an orientation event for new students.

“I went from being a UWI student to now being a registered service provider of the UWI, which to me, was a huge accomplishment.

“It’s always surreal, when I look back on it, how far the business has come,” said Worrell who graduated from UWI in 2019.”

Now, being able to invest in an office space and employ a small team, Worrell said, “Before (when the business was now starting), it used to be me alone in my bedroom doing work.

“Then it became me and a couple other people in my office.

“Now it is me with service providers and corporate clients. The company is now a network of creative professions”

But, upSTAGEvents, like many other businesses, has not been spared of the effects of the covid19 pandemic.

With restrictions in place, to curb the spread of the virus, many physical events which is also Worrell’s bread and butter have been cancelled.

Still, Worrell refuses to be defeated by the effects of the pandemic and is strategically planning to ensure the business’ continuity.

“Yes, we have lost a couple dollars from covid19’s impact on the events industry.

“But we have been able to relocate our energies as strategists and designers to other aspects of communication and service designs.

“We have been strategically opening up our doors to the wider public for information.”

Worrell said the brand is now expanding into doing event consultations.

In October, Worrell is also aiming to host a virtual entrepreneurship festival called Creative Juice.

Using a premium virtual events space, Worrell said the event will aim to highlight budding and successful creative entrepreneurs in TT.