Pleasance Theatre offer work experience placements throughout the year to anyone who thinks they might be interested in a career in the arts.
The placements will including shadowing their Front of House, Box Office and Technical teams, as well as working with the administration staff.
They are particularly interested in hearing from people based in Islington and from underrepresented groups.
Royal Court Theatre are looking to work with early-career directors with a background in directing and/or facilitating, with particular interest in directing new writing and developing their wider skills and abilities towards future freelance careers and artistic leadership roles. The Royal Court Trainee Director scheme has had an impressive history supporting the next generation of brilliant directors and artistic leaders, with alumni including Rufus Norris, Roy Alexander Weise, Lyndsey Turner and Milli Bhatia. We can’t wait to see who’s next.
They are currently hiring two Trainee Directors with a six month shared overlap. One position will start in January 2027; the second in June 2027; each for one year.
The successful candidate will have:
This eight-week course will develop your creative writing skills and provide you with the confidence to bring an idea for theatre to life through an active, practical approach that brings writers into collaborative exploration.
Open to anyone aged 18 and over with enthusiasm and an idea to explore whether you're a complete beginner or returning to creative writing, this course welcomes those interested in writing plays, screen projects, poetry, spoken word or performance art.
You'll develop writing techniques through practical exercises and improvisation, gain a solid understanding of structure, form and character development, and work towards a completed piece of writing by the end of the course. Optional homework (about one hour per week) is recommended to gain the most from the course, and attendance of all eight sessions is encouraged to support your progression and the benefit of the group. You'll have the opportunity to hear your writing performed by actors in the final weeks.
This opportunity will run for eight-weeks, starting 01/10/2026, on Thursdays 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Back for its second year, the Young Associates programme is an exciting opportunity for emerging performers aged 18–26 to explore a broad range of creative roles across theatre and live events.
From September 2026 – May 2027, the programme connects young creatives with industry professionals to develop skills in creative management, writing, directing, production, and collaborative projects, while offering mentorship from peer mentors.
As part of the application process, auditions will be led by acclaimed theatre director Philip J Morris, giving applicants the opportunity to showcase their creativity in front of an experienced industry professional.
Start date: Thursday 24 September 2026
Sessions: Thursdays, 7pm – 9pm
Term 1 (Sept–Dec): Curating Your Own Work
Term 2 (Jan–Feb): Creative Management
Term 3 (Mar–May): Showcasing Skills
Young Associates get free tickets to shows at Brixton House, weekly mentorship and industry insight, workshops and masterclasses, and hands-on experience in festivals and events.
Turtle Key Arts are excited to launch the Joy Artist Development Programme, a new development opportunity for disabled artists as part of Joy Festival 2026.
The Joy Artist Development Programme will support four emerging disabled artists in developing their professional artistic career and practice. The programme will offer 4 artists a programme of 1:1 mentoring, networking, professional seminars with leading disability arts organisations, plus rehearsal time culminating in a performance slot during the Joy Festival Studio performance week in October.
Please read the full information on the programme before applying. All the information can be found on their website including the information pack (full PDF, word & BSL versions)
Key information
Applications open: Friday 17 July, 10am
Applications close: Monday 17 August, 10am
Informal chats/interviews: w/c 17 August, by arrangement*
Programme start date: 4 September 2026
*Please note we will offer to have short, informal conversations with candidates whose applications we would like to know more about. You may be accepted onto the programme without a chat with the team, or we may invite you to talk to us about your idea if we feel we need further clarification.
How to apply
You can apply to the Artist Development Programme via their online application, or submit a word document via email.
Lighting Esesntials is an in-person training event from ETC, a leading manufacturer of professional lighting control systems, fixtures, networking solutions, and rigging technology for the entertainment industry. Designed for anyone who is passionate about working in lighting and lighting design, or who wants to learn more about the art and craft of stage lighting, this course provides an accessible introduction to the industry.
Whether you are new to the industry or just curious about what the ‘lampies’ actually do, this session is for you.
We cover a broad range of topics including stage lighting principles, fundamentals of design, colour theory, lighting fixtures and much more. There is also the opportunity to get hands-on with ETC's latest products.
Course date: 18 September 2026
Lighting Essentials is an in-person training event from ETC, a leading manufacturer of professional lighting control systems, fixtures, networking solutions, and rigging technology for the entertainment industry. Designed for anyone who is passionate about working in lighting and lighting design, or who wants to learn more about the art and craft of stage lighting, this course provides an accessible introduction to the industry
Whether you are new to the industry or just curious about what the ‘lampies’ actually do, this session is for you.
We cover a broad range of topics including stage lighting principles, fundamentals of design, colour theory, lighting fixtures and much more. There is also the opportunity to get hands-on with ETC's latest products.
Course date: 27 August 2026
A free digital resource celebrating the work of William Shakespeare, developed to bring audiences into direct contact with Shakespeare's language in an immediate and engaging way for students, teachers, actors and anyone with an interest in the plays.
Whether used in the classroom, for exam preparation, independent study or simply to inspire a love of Shakespeare, the library offers a fresh way to engage with these extraordinary works.
The library is available to access online free of charge.
Ready to build your skills and take the next step in your career?
ETC is a leading manufacturer of professional lighting control systems, fixtures, networking solutions, and rigging technology for the entertainment industry. Whether you're just starting out in stage lighting, looking to develop your Eos or Hog console programming skills, or wanting to gain a better understanding of entertainment networking and show control, our hands-on training courses are designed to help you grow with confidence.
Led by ETC's experienced Training and Outreach team, our sessions combine practical learning with real-world workflows and access to the latest technology. We also offer bespoke training programmes for venues, production companies, education providers, and larger teams.
Visit our website to explore upcoming course dates, find the right training for your experience level, and book your place. Training courses are held regularly at our London office, with additional sessions at other locations across the UK offered throughout the year.
ETC’s Eos family of lighting consoles delivers powerful and flexible control for theatre, live events, broadcast, and production environments. Eos Essentials is a free, two-day introductory training course designed to build a strong foundation in programming for the Eos platform.
This hands-on session covers core and advanced features, helping you develop practical programming skills and confidence across the full Eos family, including ETCnomad, Element, Element 2, Ion, Ion Xe, Gio @5, Gio, Eos Ti, and Apex.
Training courses are held regularly at our London office, with additional sessions offered at locations across the UK throughout the year.
Sessions are available on various dates from 27/07/2026 - 25/09/2026.
