The Wayne Sleep Foundation Awards are medium to large sized grants given to individuals who have obtained a place at a higher education Arts Institution, and are specifically to be put toward accommodation and living costs.
In previous years, the Foundation has supported students who have gained places at: Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Central School of Speech and Drama, Dance for All, Elmhust School for Dance, Hammond School, Laine Theatre Arts, London Studio Centre, Northern Ballet School, Rambert School, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Ballet School, Royal College of Music.
The Foundation has also supported organisations and projects, including those organised by: Central School of Ballet, Circus Arts, British Ballet Organisation, Dance Forward Summer and Easter Schools, Dance Northern Ireland, Dance Teachers’ Benevolent Fund, English National Ballet School, Fertile Ground, Liverpool Theatre School, National Ballet of Cuba, One Dance UK, Peter Darrell Trust, Rambert School, Royal Academy of Dance, Urbana Academy, and Yorkshire Ballet Seminars.
Join Burnt Orange Theatre's brand-new Young Riverscribes project, created in partnership with Riverside Studios.
Young Riverscribes is more than a youth theatre, it's a revolutionary creative platform designed with and for young people aged 14–21. Over a series of dynamic workshops, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to collaborate, create, and perform both as an individual artist and as part of a thriving ensemble.
At the heart of the project is Demystify, our unique built-in support system offering insider industry knowledge every step of the way. Expect Q&As, networking opportunities, guest professionals, and practical guidance that will help you navigate the creative industries with clarity and confidence.
Each fortnightly session is led by the Burnt Orange team alongside special guests such as casting assistants, agents, drama school tutors, and working artists. Every workshop is tailored to the passions and needs of the group, covering:
Sign up for this free webinar on 22 October, 2-3pm, where a panel of professionals working across different areas of the industry will share honest advice, practical tips, and real-world insights into building a sustainable and rewarding career in music.
Whether you’re just starting out or still figuring out your next steps, this is your chance to hear directly from those who have successfully forged their own paths and learn how you can do the same with the help of the ISM.
Join us for tips on:
This webinar is ideal for music students and early-career musicians looking to broaden their understanding of what’s possible and how to get there.
Are you an artist, creative freelancer or creative micro-entrepreneur in the London borough of Westminster or Paddington Creative Enterprise Zone? Want to connect with other local creatives, grow your creative business and build your confidence in running it?
Join our Re:Create Network and Learn event to get the chance to:
This event is organised in the frame of the Re:Create programme - a business support programme, run by social enterprise Creative United, for artists, creative freelancers and creative enterprises to help them thrive and grow.
We are looking to take on a trainee stage manager to assist with our spring/ summer 2026 theatre production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is a hands-on role, requiring attendance at rehearsals (in Brixham) and shows (South Devon and up to Midlands). At the end the trainee may be invited to stay on with us, or not as they choose. Laura, the show director and theatre company founder will be mentoring.
The trainee will recieve photos of them "in action" at rehearsals and shows, free tea and coffee at all shows/ rehearsals, and at the end of the show run, a written reference for future work or study use. Travel to Midlands performance(s) is provided. Rehearsals begin Feb 2026, show run finishes duing August 2026
The trainee should be based in the South Devon area.
With us, the stage manager will be trained with the following responsibilities:
Applicants Personal Qualities:
For: producers, artistic directors, people working in youth theatre, access coordinators, facilitators, directors, and people making work in the room.
This session will cover how Prime Theatre approach pastoral care and supporting the teenagers they work with, including support inside and outside of the rehearsal room and care practices.
We think it's important there are free, regular spaces to connect with other youth theatre makers, to learn together and to dream big for the sector.
Since 2024, we’ve partnered with England’s Youth Theatre NPOs to offer free, regular online spaces to discuss the practice of running a youth theatre today.
In the Running a Youth Theatre sessions, you'll hear about their real-world perspectives and practice, participate in a task or provocation, and have space to ask any questions you have to the session leader and other makers in the room.
This is a space to learn, reflect, and connect with others working across the sector - whether you're new to the role or have years of experience. All sessions are free, held on Zoom and are open to anyone using performance in their work with young people.
For: facilitators, directors, and people making work in the room.
This session, led by Mortal Fools, will explore how to adapt a session when working with young people with different access requirements, to ensure everyone in the room can feel heard and enjoy themselves.
We think it's important there are free, regular spaces to connect with other youth theatre makers, to learn together and to dream big for the sector.
Since 2024, we’ve partnered with England’s Youth Theatre NPOs to offer free, regular online spaces to discuss the practice of running a youth theatre today.
In the Running a Youth Theatre sessions, you'll hear about their real-world perspectives and practice, participate in a task or provocation, and have space to ask any questions you have to the session leader and other makers in the room.
This is a space to learn, reflect, and connect with others working across the sector - whether you're new to the role or have years of experience. All sessions are free, held on Zoom and are open to anyone using performance in their work with young people.
For: producers, artistic directors, people working in youth theatre, access coordinators, facilitators, directors, and people making work in the room.
Back in March 2023, 20 Stories High joined forces with their theatre mates from London and worked with over 60 Deaf, Disabled, and neurodivergent young people and young adults from across the country, from Liverpool, London, Leeds, Chester, and Manchester.
They collected all of the thoughts, ideas, and provocations to develop a practical, step-by-step guide aimed at helping arts organisations and venues take significant strides toward making the arts more accessible for young audiences, participants, and artists - which they’ll share and discuss in this session.
We think it's important there are free, regular spaces to connect with other youth theatre makers, to learn together and to dream big for the sector.
Since 2024, we’ve partnered with England’s Youth Theatre NPOs to offer free, regular online spaces to discuss the practice of running a youth theatre today.
In the Running a Youth Theatre sessions, you'll hear about their real-world perspectives and practice, participate in a task or provocation, and have space to ask any questions you have to the session leader and other makers in the room.
This is a space to learn, reflect, and connect with others working across the sector - whether you're new to the role or have years of experience. All sessions are free, held on Zoom and are open to anyone using performance in their work with young people.
We think it's important there are free, regular spaces to connect with other youth theatre makers, to learn together and to dream big for the sector.
Since 2024, we’ve partnered with England’s Youth Theatre NPOs to offer free, regular online spaces to discuss the practice of running a youth theatre today.
In the Running a Youth Theatre sessions, you'll hear about their real-world perspectives and practice, participate in a task or provocation, and have space to ask any questions you have to the session leader and other makers in the room. This is a space to learn, reflect, and connect with others working across the sector - whether you're new to the role or have years of experience.
Date: 14 October 1:00-2:30PM.
Some tips, advice and practical exercises for devising and gathering autobiographical material with a group of teenagers, and working with personal stories that young people bring into the space.
For: facilitators, directors, and people making work in the room.
Is money stopping you from taking part in music, dance or drama?
We grant music bursaries, dance bursaries and drama bursaries up to £1,000 each, to talented young people aged 12-25 who can’t afford to access opportunities in the arts. A bursary typically pays for a year’s part time dance, music or drama classes, and it can be used to cover some other expenses and costs too, including tuition fees at drama school.
We open applications for bursaries several times a year, and the next deadline is 30 October 2025. If you apply after this, we’ll consider your application in the next round.
