Our relaxed drama workshops are for learning disabled and autistic adults and young people who want to join in fun theatre sessions. It’s a great way to make friends, build confidence and gain skills.
There are opportunities to perform in shows, including at our annual festival - A Bit Of A Do. But there is no pressure on anyone to perform - so if you just want to join to have fun in the sessions that’s fine too.
Each session will include warm ups, theatre games, acting and group work.
Workshops are led by experienced friendly tutors.
These sessions will begin in 2022. There will be one group for adults and one for young people aged 13 - 18
Who: The workshops are open to adults over the age of 18 with mild to moderate learning disabilities and /or autism. We will also be starting a group for young people aged 13 to 18. You don’t need to have done drama before, and there is no pressure to perform.
When: Monday evenings. Three 10-week terms per year. Starting in 2022.
Where: Croydon, venue TBC
Key Club is a FREE creative arts and social club for young people (18-30 yrs) on the autism spectrum. The members meet once a month on a Saturday from September to June. They participate in a creative workshop and share refreshments and social time.
“If there was no Key Club I don't think I'd be the same person I am today. I don't know what would have happened to get me out of the house and interacting with people, especially people my own age.”
Free space to share film and digital projects.
Applications for Delivision are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Theatre Deli is inviting artists to project work onto the screen in the communal area of their Leadenhall Street venue. This is an unpaid opportunity, offering artists a platform to share their work with other creatives.
Your work can be on any theme or subject.
See our Accessibility Guide for information about access in our venue.
We particularly welcome applications from marginalised and underrepresented groups. We welcome applications from artists based in the UK and abroad.
The Performance Making Diploma is leading the way in providing high quality performance training to learning disabled and autistic artists.
Running over two years, this course nurtures new generations of exceptional learning disabled and autistic performers and theatre makers. The Performance Making Diploma gives artists the training, time and space they need to develop their work in an accessible and supportive environment.
Training is bespoke, delivered with students’ individual needs in mind, with tutors who understand Access All Areas’ methodologies for creating bold, innovative devised work by learning disabled performers. Students are encouraged to consider their own needs and wellbeing throughout the course, supported and guided by an experienced team of access professionals.
This course is run in partnership with learning disabled theatre company, Access All Areas. The course normally takes place at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, in London.
Course content:
- Working with leading industry professionals, you will create your own performances in different contemporary styles
- You will have the opportunity to think about the type of work you want to make after graduation, and will study with leading acting, casting, voice and movement tutors, developing your skills as actors
- All training is co-led by an experienced learning disabled tutor
- On graduation, you will gain a Level 2 qualification in Performance Making, and will receive personalised exit strategies to guide you through the next steps in your careers
The Level 3 in Creative Media Production is a nationally recognised qualification which has been designed to provide a highly specialist work-related programme of study. The Entry Level 3 programme gives you the knowledge, understanding and skills that are needed to prepare for employment within a general or in a particular Media sector.
The qualification is a workshop and studies based, hands-on course that can include print and film through varied set and negotiated projects and fundamentally to further develop your creative thinking and individuality.
Join us for a 10-week term of Saturday Youth Theatre COMPLETELY FREE. We have received funding to provide many more bursary places for our upcoming year of Youth Theatre. We would love to have you join us!
Get Into Theatre gives young people thousands of training, experience and funding opportunities from colleges, universities, drama schools, theatres and arts organisations all over the UK. These opportunities are for everyone no matter what gender you are, ethnicity, background or ability. However, there are also some opportunities and funding that are specifically for those who identify as having a disability.
Find out more about Access to Work here.
We want to ensure that you have the knowledge and information that you need to pursue a career within the theatre industry and the charities and/or theatre companies specifically built to support you:
Helpline: 03031239999
RNIB is one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people. They offer help and support for blind and partially sighted people and this can be anything from practical and emotional support, campaigning for change and reading services.
This organisation aims to increase opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to experience and enjoy the arts and make them aware of the opportunities available to them.
See their opportunities here.
Action Hearing Loss is the largest charity for people with hearing loss in the UK. They support and help you from day-to-day care, to practical information, to campaigning for a fairer world for people with hearing loss, and funding research to find a cure.
This organisation supports and promotes BSL access to the arts in the UK.
Graeae is a theatre company who produce theatre productions and also deliver training programmes and opportunities for aspiring and already established Actors, Directors and Writers. Graeae also provide bespoke access solutions such as:
See Graeae’s opportunities here.
Mind the Gap is one of Europe’s leading learning disability theatre companies that creates work for the UK and international audiences. Their vision is to work in an arts sector where there is equal opportunity for performers with learning disabilities. They work in partnership with learning disabled artists to deliver a bold, cutting-edge and world-class artistic programme that makes an impact.
Mind the Gap offers several training courses for adults with a learning disability to kick-start their career in performing arts which you can find here. LINK
Disability Arts is an organisation led by disabled people and created to improve and support disability arts and culture. Disability Arts understand that being an artist can be difficult and even more so for disabled artists and this platform gives them a platform to blog, and share thoughts, images, projects and general daily things to be creative with other like-minded people. They also respond to email requests for information and advice.
National Disability Theatre employs professional theatre artists who create fully accessible, world-class theatre and storytelling; change social policy and the nation’s narrative about disability culture.
Unlimited is an arts commissioning programme - run by Shape Arts and Artsadmin - that enables new work by disabled artists to reach the UK and international audiences. They are the largest supporter of disabled artists worldwide.
Shape Arts is a disability-led arts organisation which works to improve access to culture for disabled people by:
They also provide access auditing and training services to arts organisations and delivering consultancy which works towards the improvement of cultural services for all disabled people.
Artsadmin is a producing and presenting organisation for contemporary artists working in theatre, dance, live art, visual arts and mixed media.
Access in London is an informative guide for disabled people such as wheelchair users and those with limited walking ability and for whom stairs may be a challenge. It was created from information collected by visits, and reflects the experiences of disabled people. The guide combines information about where to stay, how to get around and the easiest ways of accessing the main places of interest with maps which include artwork. You can download the guide from the link above.
Training, mentoring, lectures and workshops in acting and performance for those with dyslexia.
Accentuate is a national programme which works in partnership with others to create groundbreaking projects which support and promote the talents of deaf and disabled people in the cultural sector.
Disability Rights UK are a Party Parliamentary Group for Disability. They are the leading charity of its kind in the UK and are run by and for people with lived experience of disability or health conditions. They work to influence national policy on independent living, benefits, education, employment, transport, human rights and other issues.
The Act for Change Project is a registered charity. They campaign for better representation across the live and recorded arts. They aim to strengthen diversity and let people from underrepresented audiences know that a future exists with them firmly featured in it.
BAPAM is a healthcare charity giving medical advice to people working and studying in the performing arts.
BECS is the UK’s only collective management organisation for audio visual performers.
CDMT provides quality assurance for the professional dance, drama and musical theatre industries. It is the first point of contact for those seeking information on education, training and assessment in the UK.
DCD is a registered charity and the only organisation of its kind in the UK to support Dancers to have a successful transition to alternative careers after retiring from professional performance.
See DCD opportunities here.
Equity are a union of Performers and creative practitioners who fight for fair terms and conditions in the workplace.
If you’re a professional Performer who wants to train for a new career, or who is facing financial difficulties, then ECT will help you.
FEU provides training, information, advice, guidance and skills development opportunities to support your freelance career in the creative industries.
One Dance UK is the sector support organisation leading the way for a stronger, more vibrant and diverse dance sector. They advocate for the increased profile and importance of dance in all its diverse forms and settings as well as enhancing Dancers’ health, well-being and performance and identifying gaps, providing opportunities and improve conditions for dance to be learnt, discussed and seen.
VLEC ensures the good order and practice of the variety and light entertainment industry, to ensure that the appropriate contract is used for every engagement and to resolve disputes, formally and informally.
Published: 3 January 2020
Photo:
Today, on International Day of People with Disabilities 2021, we are raising awareness with Recite Me of the challenges and barriers people with disabilities face in the theatre industry, and sharing opportunities available to help.
The 2021 IDPWD theme is “fighting for rights in the post-COVID era”. Since March 2020, every person has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another, but for those with accessibility barriers, this has been notably challenging.
Accessibility issues in the theatre industry impact both audiences and theatre workers. In the Theatre Access 2021 survey, published by VocalEyes, StageText and the Centre for Accessible Environments, 47% of respondents said more than half of the online theatre they encountered during the pandemic was inaccessible by failing to offer services such as audio description, British Sign Language or subtitles.
When it comes to live theatre, a recent survey by StageText revealed that two thirds of respondents sometimes find it difficult to hear what is happening and 77% were in favour of venues offering more captioned performances.
For disabled theatre workers, the access barriers can be even more challenging, particularly in the post-pandemic world. In findings published by the #WeShallNotBeRemoved campaign, nearly two thirds of respondents were worried they would have to leave the creative industries. Statistics released by Arts Council England in 2020 revealed that while disabled people made up 21% of England’s population, disabled representation at arts organisations amounted to just 6% of employees.
At Get Into Theatre, we believe that all young people should have the same chance to have a career in theatre, including easy access to current information on training, funding, experiences, theatre job profiles and advice.
To use the accessibility widget on our website, click the small orange icon in the bottom right corner.
You can change the text size, spacing, contrast and pause animations or hide images - all to make your experience best suited to how you digest information.
While the majority of training, funding and experience opportunities on Get Into Theatre are open to everyone, we also list many opportunities created specifically to support Theatre-makers with disabilities. If you are registered on Get Into Theatre, have disclosed your disability and are opted in to receive emails, you can get these opportunities sent straight to your inbox. To change your settings, log in to the website and go to ‘Your account’.
Access to Work is a government programme aimed at supporting disabled people to take up or remain at work. Find out everything you need to know about Access to Work in the theatre industry in our blog post here.
Check out our video interview with Actor Amy Trigg to find out what it is like to be a wheelchair user who has trained in musical theatre and starred in theatre productions across the UK.
Blog image: Alex Brenner
Published: 3 December 2021
Updated: July 2024
Where do you start when you are looking for a career in the theatre industry? It’s challenging getting a job in any industry and the competitive nature of the theatre industry is often seen as a barrier. If you follow our top 10 tips, you will definitely be in a better position to not only get a job in the theatre industry but also be a success in your chosen field.
Having goals is something that will help you in the long run as it will give you something to work towards. But don’t forget, the journey to any career is never a straight, easy path - especially in theatre. There will be things that take you in all different directions and this is normal. As long as you don’t lose sight of what you want to gain and what you want your end goal to be, you will find the right career in theatre for you.
Not everyone wants to study and that’s fine because that’s not the only way to begin your theatre career or be successful within the theatre industry. There are so many ways to do this so you must do your research to find out what these ways are. We’ve made it easy for you because we’ve put all this information in one place. It’s good to have a rough idea of what job role you would like to pursue within the theatre industry. If you’re not sure what job in theatre you are best suited to, don’t worry. Our handy blogs describing different jobs within theatre will help give you an insight to the many different roles available and what you need to do to get there.
Take a look at our job descriptions here.
It will benefit you so much to have as much experience within your chosen area of theatre as possible, especially if you don’t want to study. If you don’t have a formal qualification (for example, a degree), having experience is what is going to make you stand out to potential employers when applying for jobs. Experience comes in many different forms but the three main forms are work experience, apprenticeships and internships. You can find information about all three of these experience opportunities here.
This is always a good suggestion because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to go to the theatre? Not only that but seeing a variety of different theatre shows will help you if you’re interested in a particular area of theatre e.g. if you’re interested in lighting you can take notes of lighting designs which peak your interest or are particularly inventive. Some theatre tickets can be a little expensive but don’t worry we’ve got that covered too. You can find a number of different ticket schemes where you can get discounted theatre tickets right here.
This is the 21st century and almost everything is on social media. Try and be as active as you can without becoming anti-social. It’s a great tool to keep up-to-date with industry news, shows and upcoming theatremakers. It may sound obvious but never post any offensive or discriminating posts on any of your social media channels. Some employers like to view their employees social media pages and you don’t want something inappropriate to pop up that you wrote 10 years ago!
This can be daunting but once you get into the flow of it, it can be really fun and so invaluable to you in the future. You should network every chance you get and this doesn’t always have to be at a networking event; it may be a fellow Performer you met at an audition or your best friends cousin who is the Head of Lighting behind Wicked the musical. There are also loads of networking events available for young theatremakers which you can find here.
It may be difficult at times to remain positive when starting out in a new career in theatre but it is really important to approach everything with positivity, especially when you’re going for interviews/auditions. If you’re an Actor auditioning can be constant throughout your career and you must always go into your auditions thinking that anything is possible. This is the same with any interviews for offstage roles too. If you go in with a negative attitude it will only go downhill from there.
When you’re new in the industry (even when you are more established) you’re likely to make mistakes. Of course you are, you’re only human and this is totally natural. Accept you have made a mistake but always make sure you have learnt from the experience and then move on to the next thing. There is no need to lose sleep over a little mistake because this may affect your ability to complete other tasks and could lead you to make more mistakes. Accept it, learn from it and move on to the next thing.
When you’re at the very beginning of your career in theatre, it’s wise to be realistic about what you want to achieve as well as what you are able to achieve. If you begin with an unrealistic goal it is unlikely you will get there at the beginning of your career and this can knock your confidence. Remember, every little step counts and these things take time.
Fringe Theatres and Festivals are a popular way to get a new piece of theatre noticed and produced. It can also be a great way to kick start your theatre career. Fringe venues are all over the country and features every type of theatre you can imagine. Most shows are brand new that no one has ever seen before. One of the more well-known fringe festivals is Edinburgh Fringe. The TV show Fleabag started as a one woman show at the Festival. It was later adapted into an internationally famous award-winning TV show that we all know. Fringe theatre is a great opportunity to learn, get tips and ideas on theatre, performance, comedy and more, the sky's the limit. Remember to always make sure you are paid fairly when working on the fringe.
https://www.ypia.co.uk/posts/10-tips-for-getting-into-theatre
https://targetcareers.co.uk/career-sectors/arts-and-creative/1015387-careers-in-theatre
There are many different types of disabilities people can have or identify as having. One of these disabilities are learning disabilities which again can mean a number of different things.
A learning disability affects the way a person learns new things throughout their lifetime. This can affect the way a person understands information and how they communicate. Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability and it’s thought up to 350,000 people have a severe learning disability and this figure is increasing.
If you’d like to learn more about learning disabilities please see the NHS website for more information.
We interviewed Dominick Rutter from Bradford who is a training Actor and happens to have a learning disability. He is currently training in the Performance Academy at leading learning disability theatre company Mind the Gap. Dominick answered a few questions for us about his journey pursuing a career within the theatre industry with a learning disability.
My biggest inspiration is Lee Evans, so I’ve always wanted to get into comedy. I don’t think I’d be very confident as a solo Comedian but I would love to be a part of an ensemble in a TV show like Phoenix Nights or Men Behaving Badly. Training on Mind the Gap’s Performance Academy course is helping me develop my skills in acting as part of a group.
I don’t know why they would as they wouldn’t know what I was capable of without meeting me. For me, everyone is equal, whether they have a disability or not and should be treated the same way. It’s not something I worry about to be honest.
FACT: All employers must follow the Equal Opportunities Policy in any industry. The Equal Opportunities Policy (EOP) are guidelines put in place to ensure an organisation commits to fairness amongst applicants for new jobs and existing staff members. Basically, if you apply for a job, the employer cannot discriminate against you for any reason and you will be treated equally like everyone else.
I think it’s a difficult industry for anybody to get into really, but you need to be confident and keep trying, whatever your situation is.
I want to make something of my life. I want to do something that I’ve never done before and I like to challenge myself. The world of theatre and TV seems to be opening up for people with learning disabilities at the moment so it’s an exciting time; I want to be part of that. I’m inspired by people such as Liam Bairstow on Coronation Street and Lost Voice Guy, their success motivates me.
[Laughs] I don’t think so. If Gok Wan applied for a job in a costume department, I don’t think anyone would question his skills. If you want to work in a certain area in theatre, it shouldn’t matter who you are.
FACT: Job roles within the theatre industry are becoming more ‘gender neutral’ as one role is not deemed more for a woman and another more for a man. Women and men can pursue any role within the theatre industry as long as they are the right person for the role.
Not at all! Nothing stops me from doing what I want to do. I don’t feel like I’ve faced barriers in my life because of my disability and I’m determined to achieve what I want out of life.
Go for it, you just need to apply, what have you got to lose? You’ve only got one life and you’ve got to do what you want to do. If people think you can’t work in theatre, prove them wrong!
I hope so. When I was looking for a course in acting for people with learning disabilities, I was lucky enough to live in Bradford and have heard of Mind the Gap. Hopefully Get Into Theatre will be useful for people all over the country to find courses that are right for them.
Take a look at our opportunities that are suitable for those with learning disabilities.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/learning-disabilities/
http://www.mind-the-gap.org.uk/
Photo: Mind The Gap
Published: 14 November 2019
