As an apprentice based in one of our regional or London venues, you’ll gain hands‑on experience from day one. You will work alongside our in‑house technical teams and visiting companies to support a busy and varied performance programme. All our theatres are receiving houses, meaning you will encounter a constantly changing mix of productions—ensuring you work on an exciting variety of shows and events.
This two‑year apprenticeship includes dedicated time in lighting, flying, and stage. During the programme, you will work in at least two of our venues and be encouraged to develop your skills while taking on a wide range of responsibilities. By completion, apprentices are equipped with the skills and experience needed to work confidently as multi‑skilled theatre technicians.
Our expertise and capabilities enable producers and other creatives to bring their visions to life and create unforgettable performances for audiences, presented in our landmark venues and delivered with exceptional hospitality. It is the passion of our teams, that cover every discipline across the live entertainment industry, that underpins our continuing strategic growth and success.
We own, operate or programme some of the world’s most iconic venues; ATG Entertainment manages over 70 venues across Britain, North America, Germany and Spain.
We are the world leader in theatre ticketing; We process more than 18 million tickets every year for hit musicals, acclaimed plays, concerts, comedy shows and a variety of other live events across the UK, North America, Germany and Spain.
We present the world’s best live entertainment in our venues; working alongside the world’s leading producers and creative artists, our venues present an extraordinarily diverse range of top-quality entertainment.
We produce award-winning shows; our in-house production team, ATG Productions, are dedicated to producing critically acclaimed, commercially successful and creatively ambitious work for the West End, Broadway, Continental Europe and beyond.
Take a look at our career site Welcome to ATG Entertainment | ATG Entertainment Careers for more information about our apprenticeship scheme and find answers to some frequently asked questions. Please note we can only accept applications from those aged 17 years and over due to the nature of the role and the working hours.
There will be one apprentice based in each of the following theatres. Applicants must live within a commutable distance to the venue. Please bear in mind that you will need to be able to travel home after a late finish and long commutes are not suitable.
Throughout the apprenticeship you will be based at your home venue. You will also be expected to complete secondments to other ATG venues during your apprenticeship, this will require you to move to another area of the UK; It is therefore essential that you are happy to move during the apprenticeship to ensure that you gain a broader range of experiences, develop a wider network in the industry and encourage you to seek out job opportunities in all ATG’s theatres. All travel and accommodation for secondments away from your base venue will be paid for by ATG Entertainment.
Production Technician – Creative Venue Pathways Level 3 Standard
Apprentices learn the skills they need on the job with the guidance of a development coach who is an expert from industry. You’ll finish your apprenticeship with a recognised qualification, valuable industry experience, money, and substantial opportunities for promotion.
Summative Portfolio
You will be expected to deliver projects throughout the apprenticeship. Each project would involve research, knowledge and may be submitted in writing, a presentation or professional discussion.
Seminars and Qualifications:
All CVT apprentices are enrolled onto a vendor qualification called the ABTT Bronze award. This will come with training sessions – covering the following:
Training Session 1 – Manual Handling & Health and Safety at Work Act Develop an understanding of manual handling, injuries and the UK theatre code of conduct.
Training Session 2 – Electrical Fundamentals To develop an understanding of basic electricity
Training Session 3 – Knots & Splicing Develop a basic understanding into knots commonly used in theatre
Training Session 4 – Fundamentals of Flying An introduction to manual flying systems within the theatre
Training Session 5 – Safe Use of Temporary Access Equipment Understanding safe handling of Access Equipment and covering relevant terminology
Training Session 6 – Revision session on ABTT Exam ABTT mock questions and covering what has previously been learnt in preparation for the exam
For a full overview of the CVT standard please click on the following link: https://creativealliance.org.uk/apprenticeships/creative-venue-technician-level-3/
Hull Truck Theatre is a pioneering theatre with a bold Northern voice, known for producing and presenting inspiring, high-quality drama. From in-house productions to visiting performances, touring work and community projects, the theatre plays a vital role in Hull’s cultural life.
Based at Hull Truck Theatre, you’ll be joining a collaborative production team working closely with artists, visiting companies and creative professionals to bring live performances to life. This is a fantastic opportunity to start a career in technical theatre, gaining hands-on experience across lighting, sound, stage and production in a real working environment.
What you'll do:
This is an 18-month apprenticeship, working up to 30 hours per week (including training time). You'll gain practical experience while working towards a recognised qualification, developing skills in areas such as:
Pay Rate: Apprenticeship Minimum Wage
Have you ever wanted to work backstage at The Old Vic?
OV Backstage will offer paid placements on an Old Vic main house production to six 18–30-year-olds from underrepresented backgrounds in the arts.
Participants will shadow an industry professional across 15 paid sessions and get hands-on experience in one of the following disciplines:
The project culminates with a networking session to help participants take the next steps in their careers.
Participants will be paid for taking part in the programme. Additional support for travel costs is available if required.
The programme will include:
Applications are now open for work placements in the Scenic Art department at the National Theatre.
These two-week placements are for those studying, or recently graduated from, a Scenic Art or other relevant higher education course and looking for work experience in this field. Please note:
Placements will take place between April 2026 and March 2027.
Placements are not paid, but travel and food expenses will be covered.
This is an opportunity for people aged 18+.
As part of your application, please upload a CV, covering letter explaining why you are applying for this placement, and a short portfolio of your work. If you have any questions or if you would like to submit an application via an alternative format, please contact one of the Skills Centre team at skillscentre@nationaltheatre.org.uk who can offer guidance on how to do this.
Step behind the stage with this immersive six-month traineeship, gaining hands-on production experience and learning how world-class innovative shows are brought to life.
The Royal Court Theatre is internationally-recognised as the UK’s leading theatre for new work, with a 70-year commitment to developing and championing talent on and off stage. Each year it nurtures hundreds of emerging practitioners through structured development, placements and learning programmes – supporting them all the way through to professional debuts and major productions.
Its mission is defined by taking risks on stages – inspiring audiences, artists and communities, and empowering new and diverse voices to drive forward national culture and public conversation. Every year Royal Court reaches over 100,000 people between its two theatres, touring productions and youth and community projects. Coming at an exciting time during its 70th Anniversary, this traineeship ensures both practical learning and a real dose of inspiration and excitement for someone new to the industry.
This production traineeship provides a supported, developmental role in our busy world-class backstage theatre teams – including opportunities to build to professional credits, and gain insights into future career pathways in theatre. Throughout the traineeship, the successful candidate will undertake supervised, developmental tasks that build confidence in rehearsal support, technical periods and performances, giving direct insight and hands-on experience into how plays are developed, rehearsed and staged in a world-leading contemporary theatre. There will also be opportunities to work alongside globally renowned artists, brand new writers and youth participants. The six-month traineeship will follow a structured timeline to support learning and development, potentially as follows:
Key activities
What you will gain
What we are looking for
Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s Backstage Roadshow will take a series of FREE backstage skills workshops directly into UK state schools, introducing children and young people to the variety of creative pathways and career opportunities that exist within theatre, live events, television and film.
Led by industry professionals and designed by the School’s Production Arts staff, the Backstage Roadshow will take professional equipment into schools to provide a crucial insight into one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors and inspire young people to train and work in the creative industries.
Our team will also be offering full technical support to two primary school productions each year, bringing our lighting, sound, and stage management equipment, along with staff to help run your show.
How it works
The Backstage Roadshow will run for the Academic Years of 2024/25 and 2025/26, with support offered for one Primary School production in December and one in June or July.
What do we bring to your school?
For workshops, please complete your expression of interest via this form.
Shortlisted schools will be contacted for an online meeting to discuss the options, prior to a site-visit being arranged ahead of any firm offer for the Backstage Roadshow to visit.
Primary schools, please register here.
We are looking to take on a trainee stage manager to assist with our spring/ summer 2026 theatre production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is a hands-on role, requiring attendance at rehearsals (in Brixham) and shows (South Devon and up to Midlands). At the end the trainee may be invited to stay on with us, or not as they choose. Laura, the show director and theatre company founder will be mentoring.
The trainee will recieve photos of them "in action" at rehearsals and shows, free tea and coffee at all shows/ rehearsals, and at the end of the show run, a written reference for future work or study use. Travel to Midlands performance(s) is provided. Rehearsals begin Feb 2026, show run finishes duing August 2026
The trainee should be based in the South Devon area.
With us, the stage manager will be trained with the following responsibilities:
Applicants Personal Qualities:
Masterclass is offering a paid, three-month internship for an aspiring Theatre Technician, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. This is a hands-on opportunity for those interested in electrics and / or carpentry to gain backstage experience in a professional theatre.
You’ll work full-time alongside experienced in-house electrical and carpentry teams, supported by Masterclass. During this 13-week placement, you’ll develop essential skills in lighting, rigging and carpentry, with the flexibility to focus on your interests.
This internship is for those at the start of their career or looking for a first step into theatre. Prior theatre experience is not required, but candidates must have basic skills in carpentry, electrics or sound, and a strong interest in theatre and live events.
Ideal candidates will:
Eligibility:
The Cultural Learning and Participation Officer Apprenticeship provides hands-on experience, mixing practical and administrative work with college learning underpinning your experiences.
Over the course of the Apprenticeship you will gain professional experience in arts administration, practical workshop delivery, project management and leadership, and will receive on-going mentoring and coaching from the Learning, Education and Participation (LEAP) Team and Chichester College staff. You will predominately support the Children and Young People strand of the LEAP programme.
You will work towards completing a formal apprenticeship in Cultural Learning and Participation, which is celebrated and monitored throughout the role in a portfolio of work, culminating in an End-Point Assessment.
These pathways are tailored for emerging Directors, Choreographers, Musical Directors, Designers, Lighting Designers, Stage Managers, Wardrobe Assistants and Technicians aged 16 to 23 who are in training or recently graduated from Higher Education.
Applications are open for 2025. There is £25 application fee which gives access to preparatory online sessions, offering skill building and group mentorship. Following these sessions you will have the opportunity to apply for a specific role on a production.
