This year's Optimist Summer 2025 course is suitable for emerging producers, artists, and creative practitioners who are hoping to develop their skills as professional producers, or as a producer of their own work, in the subsidised arts sector.
Drawing on China Plate’s extensive experience and real examples in theatre producing, The Optimists provides knowledge and insight on the practicalities of making, funding, touring, and promoting your work.
The Optimists course is led by China Plate, with the support of guest industry experts and speakers.
The course is open to participants nationwide, and those working across different art forms (e.g., dance, live art, spoken word, etc.) but has a particular focus on producing and touring live work in the theatre industry.
Sessions: 10 in-person sessions taking place over 7 weeks
Dates: Between Saturday 14 June and Saturday 2 August 2025
Location: Venues across the West Midlands
Spaces: For up to 20 participants
Costs:
Bursaries are available, covering the full cost of the course, to those who have faced prejudice, discrimination and/or cultural barriers due to factors including (but not limited to) race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location.
Deadline for applications is 12pm (midday) on Friday 23 May
Please visit our website for more information about the course, including application guidelines and details on how to apply. Accessible formats are available, including BSL & captioned and audio introductions about the course, alongside large print formats.
If you have any questions, please contact our Training & Development Producer, Kristina through the email address shared below.
Deepen your understanding of the theatre industry through this traineeship scheme, where you'll be joining the team behind Donmar Warehouse's fundraising for 12 months
In this role, you will deepen your understanding of the theatre industry by joining the Individual Giving team where you will gain an understanding of Individual Giving within the fundraising landscape at large, within the Donmar, and gain experience running a thriving theatre membership scheme.
Within this front-facing post, you will support the smooth running of the Friends and Best Friends membership scheme, liaise with the Events team to deliver the events programme for Donmar supporters, identify new members and offer administrative support for the Patron scheme.
By the end of the 12 months, you will leave with a deeper understanding of fundraising, including the importance of relationship building and working closely with key stakeholders, as well as a strong grasp of how to confidently communicate the need for support.
We’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in performing, songwriting, music-making or you have another creative-skill, aged 18-25.
If you are keen to explore musical theatre, this is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively with artists and facilitators, in response to National Theatre shows, Here We Are and London Road.
You’ll spend the week exploring and creating alongside musical directors and facilitators – the week is all about getting stuck into theatre-making and the process of this. You’ll watch both productions prior to the course week and use these as a starting point for some musical-making during the week. The week will culminate in an informal sharing of work alongside your peers on the last day of the programme.
This year, we’re particularly interested to hear from you if you have a passion for musical theatre or plays with songs.
These opportunities are free to take part in – no prior experience is necessary, just a sense of curiosity and creativity!
Applications to join the Youth Opera Programme for the 2025/2026 season are now open and will close on Friday 23 May.
The Royal Ballet and Opera's Youth Opera programmes provide children aged 8 to 13 with rigorous music and drama training, creative projects and the chance to perform in world leading opera productions with The Royal Opera.
RBO Youth Opera is divided into two strands:
RBO Young Voices (Ages 8-9)
RBO Young Voices is a singing programme for 8-9 year olds, developing participants' vocal control, musical literacy and performing skills. As well as performing at concerts and other events at the Royal Opera House, participants gain a grounding in the skills required to progress into our older ensemble, the RBO Youth Opera Company.
RBO Youth Opera Company (Ages 9-13)
RBO Youth Opera Company is our in-house chorus of 9 to 13 year olds. We offer participants all-round training in the performing arts, covering vocal technique, language coaching, acting and stage craft, musical literacy and creative processes for developing new work. The RBO YOC also has the opportunity to audition for the children’s chorus in one Royal Opera Company production per season.
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.
We are delighted to announce that The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship will support an emerging director from an under-represented or disadvantaged socio-economic background to undertake the two-year director training programme, the MFA Theatre Directing, at Birkbeck, from August 2025.
The Scholarship will cover the full course fees and provide £2,500 per annum towards the costs of study.
The closing date for applications to the programme and the scholarship is Friday 2 May 2025.
You may download more information about the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship and the application form from the webpage linked below.
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.
Artistic Directors of the Future is the first membership organisation dedicated to increasing the number of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse leaders in the arts.
Membership is open to theatre & live performance professionals (emerging, mid-career, established and career changers) and organisations worldwide.
What we do:
- Provide leadership training, events, and programmes for Black, Asian or ethnically diverse (Global majority) theatre/live performance creatives and professional at any stage of their leadership career. To check if you are eligible click here
- We partner with leading theatre and live performance organisations to diversify their networks and diversify their senior staff and trustees.
We are a not-for-profit arts organisation based in the UK for professionals connected to the Middle East, North Africa or the surrounding area (MENA+).
Our purpose is to bring people together, celebrate what connects us, spotlight our achievements, help our membership thrive, and lobbying for appropriate representation within the British live and recorded arts industry.
Sign up to make a profile, join the online directory and start networking.
