ZooNation is offering a paid placement opportunity on our upcoming production Ebony Scrooge, at Sadler’s Wells East, as a part of our Behind The Scenes Initiative. The initiative aims to support Black and Global Majority talent in creative and backstage theatre roles, who are currently underrepresented in the sector. 

For Ebony Scrooge the placement offered is within the Costume team, learning from and supporting our Costume Designer and Costume Supervisor. 

The placement will take place across 15 sessions, which may vary between full days and split days. Within this placement, you will receive hands on experience of working on a main stage production with ZooNation. 

In order to apply please send a letter (max 1 A4) OR a short video or audio submission (max 1 minute) explaining why you are interested in this programme. Please include details of any relevant experience or transferrable skills you have to date. 

Successful applicants will be invited to a Zoom chat with members of the team, where we can get to know you better and discuss the role in more detail. After this time, one applicant will be invited to join the programme. 

Application deadline 25  July at 5pm

Want to learn how a multi-artform venue develops, supports, and delivers its artistic programme while growing and engaging its audiences? This 6-month placement offers a meaningful and enriching introduction to arts administration, audience development, and creative producing on a part-time basis.

The Audience and Artist Engagement Placement will support Shoreditch Town Hall’s cultural programme, marketing campaigns and live events through a variety of administrative, producing, and communications tasks. The role will rotate across departments and is designed to offer broad insight into how creative projects are delivered, communicated and experienced in a professional arts venue.

The trainee will rotate across key teams (marketing, cultural programme, events, and operations) and undertake tasks that range from project coordination and artist support to content creation and audience engagement. They will attend team meetings, help coordinate artist initiatives such as our rehearsal space schemes, and contribute to audience development campaigns and blog content. This placement aims to equip the trainee with practical skills, confidence, and clarity about career pathways in the arts, particularly arts marketing, cultural programming and events.

The programme will take place over three Saturday’s in June 2025, curated by Emma Jones, one of Scotland’s leading Lighting Designers. The workshops will be facilitated by Lighting Designers who will share their own stories and experience. There will also be time to ask questions and engage in discussions with the presenters, to seek advice and learn from their journeys and experiences in the industry. 

Participants developed an understanding of professional processes and potential career paths while building practical skills and increasing confidence. 

The programme sessions take place on:

Applications are now open for the 2025-26 cohort of the Bridge the Gap Producer Programme! 

Apply to be one of 10 emerging producers from underrepresented backgrounds to take part in this year long development programme; gaining skills in commercial producing through monthly workshops, a mentor, coaching sessions, tickets to shows, access to grants and more!

Deadline: 12 noon on Friday 9 May

Apply online via our website.

Not sure if it's for you? Find out some more info in our Should I Apply? guide.

Stage One created Bridge the Gap to diversify the current field of commercial theatre producers and therefore strongly encourages individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and outside of London to apply. We want to support people from a Global Majority background, who identify as working class or from a lower socio-economic background, are LGBTQIA+, those that have a disability and/or are neurodivergent and/or those from a culturally or religiously Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim or Sikh background.

This is an excellent traineeship for anyone in the early stages of their career, looking to gain experience and flourish in arts marketing.

The Place, London’s creative powerhouse for dance development, has been leading the way in dance training, creation and performance for over 50 years. In a changing landscape, their mission for the future remains steadfast: they are powering imagination through dance, championing new ideas, embracing risks and creating optimal conditions for dance artists and enthusiasts to realise their full potential.

The communications trainee will report to our Press & PR manager and work closely with our Communications team within a busy and exciting dance organisation to market our range of events and programmes. You will help maintain and monitor The Place's social media presence by scheduling posts on social media accounts across all major platforms they use.

You will also learn how to produce performance programme notes (for all performances in the theatre), assist in the production and placement of advertising, as well as research, planning, development, and implementation of marketing, PR, and communications activities.

A Home for Potential. A Platform for New Voices. A Commitment to Local Talent.

The Belgrade Ensemble is a free, year-long creative programme for early-career performers aged 18–25 from Coventry and the surrounding region.

Launched in 2023, the Ensemble was created to provide a home for young people making their first steps into theatre. This is not a training course in the traditional sense – it’s a long-term investment in creative development, rooted in care, rigour, and the weekly commitment of showing up and making work together.

Now entering its third year, the 2025/26 Ensemble will work with professional artists to create and perform an original production, including a public performance at the Belgrade and the potential opportunity to perform at the For With By European Youth Theatre Festival in Hull (TBC).

Beyond Face Youth Company is a fantastic opportunity for young people of the Global Majority aged 12-16 to work with professional theatre makers in a professional studio space to learn theatre and performance skills, perform, create their own theatre, writing and movement. 

Over the years the youth company has performed their own productions such as Where’s Abi? By Titilola Dawudu and most recently their production Grow Up. We work closely with other youth theatre companies such as Doorstep Arts and Company Three on a variety of exchange projects.

PROJEKT EMPOWER is a unique mentorship programme specifically aimed at supporting migrant theatre makers at the beginning of their UK careers.

We match 10 emerging migrant artists with the country’s most successful migrant theatre makers and empower them to become leading creative change makers of the future.

Applications are now open!

Are you a migrant artist based in the UK? Do you consider yourself ‘early career’?

Then PROJEKT EMPOWER is for you!

Live in West London and interested in backstage and technical roles for screen and stage?

The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) are looking for young people aged 16-21 who live in West London to take part in Future Technicians, a free two week technical theatre course! This course is designed to provide hands-on experience in both screen and stage technical production. Our cohort will gain insight into film and theatre production, working with industry professionals to create high-quality content and live performances.

We are particularly interested in hearing from young people from the global majority, young people who are D/deaf and disabled, young people from low-income households (measured by access to Free School Meals in the last 6 years) and young people in care / care leavers as we recognise these groups are currently underrepresented in the technical theatre industries

The award has been named after the great Victorian Philanthropist, George Peabody. LSMT has established this Grant for those who are unable to afford to attend our training and who are currently underrepresented in the Industry.

The funding is designated for those of African or Caribbean heritage, South, East and South East Asian heritage, Middle-Eastern heritage or those who identify as bi-racial or multi-racial. There are several Grants of up to £5000 available.

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