Fancy trying improv comedy and seeing what it’s all about? Want to play and explore with a friendly group of beginners? Our one-day Intro to Improv Lab is for you.
Our Intro to Improv one-day intensive is a supportive environment introducing you to the basics of improv comedy through games and exercises. Whether you’re a stand-up comedian or an actor looking to branch out, or if you’re completely new to all of it – you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
You will be working with exciting industry professional Charlie Vero-Martin to playfully discover the art of improv, as well as developing skills to build your comedy practice. Charlie is an improviser, comedian, actor and writer with over 18 years of experience. You might recognise her from one of many sell-out and award-winning Edinburgh Fringe shows, or you might know her as a finalist in the Funny Women Stage Award and Leicester Square Theatre Sketch-Off. She writes comedy for BBC and Hat Trick Productions, and has taught improv and character comedy at Hoopla Impro, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and independently. Experienced with clowning, movement and character work, Charlie will lead you through the process of discovering your inner improviser and playing with the group.
Don’t be shy – join us for a day of improv comedy joy.
Course structure
We ask that participants commit to attending the full day.
Applications & Fees
There are 16 places available for this one-day intensive (we keep the numbers low because we want to make sure everyone gets plenty of time in the workshop). The application process is quick and easy – it should take 20 minutes tops. Just go to this form and let us know a bit about yourself and why you want to do the Lab. That’s it!
The fee is £25, with partial and full bursaries available to those on Universal Credit and other welfare benefits. If you are not eligible for a bursary but cost is a barrier to participating, contact us at engagement@sohotheatre.com and we can discuss payment options
York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre exists to provide opportunities for young people aged 5 – 19 yrs from our community to participate in weekly drama sessions with the aim of improving confidence, developing performance skills, working as part of a team and enabling participants to live creative lives. Our programme works across the week at the theatre and across community settings and we’d love for you to come join us.
Winner of the Little Viking’s Best Drama Class for five years running (2018 – 2022), it’s no surprise that our Youth Theatre is hugely popular with York families.
Our Youth Theatre takes place in venues across our beautiful city, including:
You can select any of the following fee bands online when you making your booking:
Sibling discount: If you have more than one child in Youth Theatre, there is a sibling discount of £5 off each young person, which can be applied to any of the 3 fee bands. Use discount code: YOUTHSIB5
If you have selected the lower priced bands we will ask to see some evidence of your situation after you have made your booking, to ensure the system is fair for everyone.
Autumn 2026 Sessions
Priority booking for current members opens on 23 June at 1pm.
Public booking for new members for our Autumn Term opens on 30 June at 1pm.
Places can be booked online via our website, in person at the Box Office, or over the phone. All places are offered on a first come, first served basis, so we recommend booking as early as possible to secure your preferred class.
Our Autumn Term runs for 10 weeks from the week commencing 21 September (11 weeks for production term groups), with no sessions taking place during the half-term break (Wc/26 of October).
Mon 21 Sep - Wed 23 Sep
Interested in learning carpentry skills and techniques? Do you want to get hands-on experience in carpentry this summer? Aged between 16-19? Apply now for our free carpentry course.
In this free, three-day course you will:
We are committed to diversity and access by prioritising engaging young people that we recognise are currently underrepresented in technical theatre:
Mountview’s one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Stage and Production Management is designed for those looking to enter the profession with limited theatre experience, consolidate existing training, or progress to the next stage of their career.
The course particularly welcomes career-changers and graduates from a wide range of academic backgrounds who have developed an interest in stage and production management through university drama societies, amateur theatre, or other practical performance-making experiences. It is also well-suited to applicants who have already undertaken relevant training or built-up industry experience and are seeking further professional practice, a recognised postgraduate qualification, or the opportunity to strengthen and refine their skills within a conservatoire-style environment.
Students work in a fast‑paced, professional production setting, engaging with a broad range of productions while developing essential practical, creative, organisational and critical thinking skills. The programme balances hands-on production work with theoretical and professional development, preparing students for a sustainable career in the creative arts.
The Diploma offers a clear route to increased employability and professional progression. For those already working in the industry, it provides the opportunity to deepen expertise, expand professional networks, and move forward with confidence into more advanced roles.
COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY
This is a one-year full-time vocational course and is ideal for students who wish to develop their experience and skills in management, theatre production arts or technical theatre through practical work in professional theatre environments.
The course is delivered through:
The course is taught by Mountview’s resident team of tutors, alongside industry professionals who work alongside the students on productions. Previous guest tutors have included professionals from Punchdrunk, Hamilton, The Globe and National Theatre.
Every year, Mountview awards a range of scholarships and bursaries to support students with the costs of study, made possible thanks to generous individuals, trusts and foundations.
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of talent, potential and financial need and designed to ensure that cost is not a barrier to study.
In 25/26, 1 in 3 students received a scholarship with the average award being £3,250.
We usually receive far more applications for scholarship funding than we have available, so we encourage you to seek other funding opportunities as well and will provide support and guidance to do so.
Find out more about Funding and Scholarships at Mountview.
Writing West Midlands is once again teaming up with Birmingham Libraries to recruit the next two Poets Laureate for 2026-28:
The Birmingham Poet Laureate and Birmingham Young Poet Laureate are honorary posts appointed by Birmingham Libraries and Writing West Midlands.
The successful candidates should be residents of Birmingham, or work or study in the city, and will be able to show their commitment to writing and sharing their poetry. They should be comfortable with the idea of sharing with an audience and speaking about their work. They will be expected to be an ambassador for the city of Birmingham and its many communities and areas.
The Birmingham Poet Laureate and Birmingham Young Poet Laureate are asked to undertake a small number of honorary duties during their tenure, including writing poems to commemorate significant moments. They will be expected to share their work at events and to encourage an interest in poetry across the city. We are particularly keen that the Poets Laureate use their work to encourage people to engage with the city’s public libraries.
While the posts are honorary and the roles are voluntary, payments are sometimes made for work that is particularly time consuming. The adult Poet Laureate in particular will be supported by Writing West Midlands to develop their creative work.
The position of Birmingham Poet Laureate was the UK’s first ‘city laureate’, with the first appointment being made in 1998. In 2005, the position of Birmingham Young Poet Laureate was set up.
In-person interviews for both posts will take place on Saturday 19th September 2026 (Adult post in the morning, Young post in the afternoon). Interviews will take place in central Birmingham. An appointment event will take place on Sunday 11th October 2026.
Monologue Bootcamp, runs in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, prepares future Drama School applicants for the audition process, equipping them with the skills to choose, interpret and deliver a monologue.
Monologue Bootcamp prepares potential Drama School applicants for the competitive audition process, through a series of workshops to help participants research, interpret and deliver a monologue.
It runs in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, and is free for participants.
Applicants should also meet one of the following criteria:
If you have previously participated in Monologue Bootcamp you are not eligible to apply for it again.
*evidence for these criteria will be required with your application.
Please fill out this form
Deadline to apply for this programme is Friday 31st June 2026.
This full-time vocational course provides students with an artistically safe and supportive environment to develop their creative instincts while also preparing them for future training and career opportunities within the performing arts
The Certificate of Higher Education course is framed by a focus on discovery. You’ll be trained to develop your own personal skill strengths, cultivate independent growth, expand your artistic vocabulary and grow as a creative artist.
You’ll also gain an understanding of different vocational routes and will be given career tutorials to explore your next steps, alongside focussed audition preparation and 1:1 coaching on auditions.
A CertHE course is a great option for students from a wide range of backgrounds, whether you want to develop your skills before progressing to a three-year training option or as a standalone course before entering the industry directly.
The CertHE Acting course runs in several locations in partnership with leading arts venues, giving students the opportunity to study in some of the most creatively vibrant and exciting locations within the UK.
All course locations are led by Mountview staff and will cover the same syllabus.
COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY
Spanning over two terms of study, the CertHE course offers a fast-paced, vocational training environment.
Throughout the course students will investigate and develop their existing practical skills in Acting, as well as having the opportunity to work in a rehearsal setting and ultimately present a shared performance.
Students will develop acting, movement and associated skills and the training will also include:
This full-time vocational course provides you with an artistically safe and supportive environment, to develop your creative instincts and prepare for future training and career opportunities within the performing arts.
Gain an understanding of different vocational routes and benefit from career tutorials to explore your next steps, alongside focussed audition preparation and 1:1 coaching on auditions.
The Certificate of Higher Education course is framed by a focus on discovery. You’ll be trained to develop your own personal skill strengths, cultivate independent growth, expand your artistic vocabulary and grow as a creative artist.
A CertHE course is a great option for students from a wide range of backgrounds, whether you want to develop your skills before progressing to a 3-year training option or as a standalone course before entering the industry.
The CertHE Musical Theatre course runs in several locations in partnership with leading arts venues, giving students the opportunity to study in some of the most creatively vibrant & exciting locations within the UK.
All course locations are led by Mountview staff and will cover the same syllabus.
COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY
Spanning over two terms of study, the CertHE course offers a fast-paced, vocational training environment.
Throughout the course students will investigate and develop their existing practical skills in Musical Theatre, as well as having the opportunity to work in a rehearsal setting and ultimately present a shared performance.
Students will develop acting, singing, dance, artistic agency and associated skills, including:
Actor-musicians are increasingly in-demand performers who combine first-rate acting ability with a high level of musicianship.
Mountview’s Actor Musicianship course develops these dual skills to the highest level, enabling graduates to combine them in their performance.
Whilst a high level of prior musical experience is a pre-requisite, it is not necessary to have achieved formal music qualifications before applying.
COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY
Study takes place over three 12-week terms a year for three years. It is an actor training programme with specialised music elements. Students work in small classes and receive over 25 hours of direct teaching time each week, including one-to-one singing and instrumental lessons.
The course is delivered through classes, projects, workshops and performance opportunities. During the course students engage in a range of performance projects, working on Shakespeare, contemporary plays, and musicals as well as devising original work. The first half of each term is devoted to skills classes whilst in the second half of each term these skills are applied to performance projects.
In the second year, skills are further explored in collaboration classes which include peer integration and team teaching to enhance your creativity and help you to make connections between subjects.
Additionally, there is time given to tailored ‘surgeries’ to focus on detail and help develop independence and confidence in each individual’s practice.
