With school holidays offering many young people the opportunity to take part in creative activities, it’s often a time when interests grow, and future ambitions begin to take shape.
Whether a young person is already engaged in the arts or just starting to explore, there are many different pathways into a career in the creative industries. However, for many families, these routes can feel unclear or uncertain.
Recent research from Netflix and the National Youth Theatre found that 89% of parents from working-class backgrounds would be unlikely to encourage their child to pursue a career in the creative industries. Building understanding and confidence among parents and carers is an important step in helping more young people feel supported in exploring these opportunities.
Parents Unscripted is a new series from Discover! Creative Careers, created in collaboration with organisations across the creative industries. The series shares the perspectives of parents whose children now work in the sector, offering honest reflections on their journeys.
We’re proud to have collaborated on one of the films in the series, developed alongside Discover! Creative Careers and the National Theatre. In this film, Angela Jumbo, mother of actor and playwright Cush Jumbo, reflects on her child’s journey into the industry and shares her perspective as a parent.
You can watch the other films in the series here!
We know that when parents and carers feel more confident about creative careers, it can make a real difference to a young person’s ability to pursue them.
By sharing these stories, Parents Unscripted aims to open up conversations, challenge misconceptions, and highlight the many routes available across the creative industries.
We encourage teachers, industry professionals and partners to share these films with their networks, whether through newsletters, social media, or conversations with young people and their families.
Helping more families understand the opportunities available in the creative industries is a vital step in supporting the next generation of talent.
Find out more about Discover! Creative Careers here.
Find out more about the National Theatre Skills Centre here.
Join Central for a free, 3-day taster of Drama School life at Liverpool Everyman.
Tuesday 7th April: From Model to Mark-up:
Backstage Theatre Skills, set design, scenic construction and technical theatre
Wednesday 8th April: From Script to Stage
Acting in Action, acting training, movement, voice and scene work.
Thursday 9th April: Making Original Performance
Drama and the Arts, creating performance about real issues and communities.
There is no charge for these sessions, and although these sessions are open to all - priority will be given to participants who meet one of the eligibility criteria.
Storyhouse
A paid summer work and cultural exchange opportunity for creatives aged 18+.
Camp America offers a paid summer opportunity to live and work at an American summer camp for 9–12 weeks, with performing arts and creative roles available across camps in the USA. This is more than just work experience - it’s a chance to use your creative skills while living the full summer camp life!
Creatives from all backgrounds are placed in roles where they can teach, lead and inspire young people through acting, singing, dance, music, technical theatre and production, while also being part of a wider camp community. Alongside your role, you’ll take part in classic camp activities, build international friendships and experience everyday life in the USA. While we work with specialist theatre and performing arts camps, performing arts roles are available across many different camps, not just specialist ones.
This opportunity is ideal for those who:
Camps generally run from mid-Jun to mid-August – but this can vary by camp and location.
Free creative writing workshops for Autistic writers aged 18+ in the North of England (Derby and Nottingham included).
Join Gemma Lees and Via MacNab for a series of twice-a-month creative writing workshops. Workshops take place online for 1.5 hours at a time and are 100% free. Each session, Gemma and Via will walk you through creative writing exercises to inspire you and encourage your creativity, after which you will have the option to share your writing if you would like among likeminded writers in a safe and open environment.
This group is for Autistic adults in the North of England. Led by Romany Gypsy poet Gemma Lees, we offer a warm welcome to all - with a special invitation to GRTSB (Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showmen & Boater) communities.
Dates & Times:
How to book:
Funded by the Cheshire West and Chester Youth Opportunity Fund, the sessions by Little Actors Theatre aim to empower participants through various activities.
The workshops will cover topics such as confidence building, teamwork, voice, and appropriate relationships.
Open to young people aged 11 and older, the sessions require no previous experience.
Most workshops will be held on Saturday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm, with some taking place on Tuesday evenings from 5pm to 7pm at Neston Town Hall.
