For years, the idea of “making it” in theatre has followed a familiar script: go to university or attend drama school, earn a degree and then maybe you’ll land a job.
But that’s only one version of the story.
The truth is, theatre has never had a single entry route. Many people build careers through practical experience, training on the job, and creating their own opportunities, and crucially, this doesn’t just happen in London.
Apprenticeships are one of the most accessible and structured ways to begin a career in theatre. They combine paid work with hands-on training, allowing you to learn directly from industry professionals.
Major organisations like the National Theatre, the Royal Ballet and Opera, and the Royal Shakespeare Company offer established apprenticeship schemes in areas such as technical theatre, stage management, and costume.
Outside of London, opportunities are just as valuable. Theatr Clwyd and Leeds Playhouse, for example, run programmes that focus on developing local talent and opening doors into the industry.
Apprenticeships offer:
Paid internships in theatre do exist, but they can be harder to find and are often highly competitive. They’re usually offered through specific programmes rather than widely advertised roles.
Masterclass, the Birmingham Hippodrome and Creative Access, for instance, partner with producers and theatres to provide internships that give insight into how the industry operates behind the scenes.
While not as accessible as apprenticeships, internships can still:
Not everyone wants, or needs, to commit to full-time training. Short courses offer a flexible way to develop your skills, whether that’s acting, directing, writing, or technical theatre.
Institutions like the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama offer part-time courses, but similar opportunities can often be found at regional theatres and arts centres across the UK.
These courses allow you to:
It’s easy to think of theatre as London-centric, but the UK has a rich network of regional venues creating high-quality work and supporting emerging talent.
Organisations like the Bristol Old Vic, Royal Exchange Theatre, Northern Stage, Birmingham Hippodrome, and the National Theatre of Scotland all offer development programmes, workshops, and early-career opportunities.
Starting outside London can often mean:
One of the most powerful ways into theatre is to stop waiting for permission.
Write a play. Organise a scratch night. Collaborate with other creatives. Platforms like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have launched countless careers built on self-created work.
Creating your own opportunities shows initiative and gives you something tangible to build on.
There’s no single way into theatre, and that’s what makes it such an exciting industry to be part of. Whether you choose an apprenticeship, apply for internships, take short courses, or start creating your own work, each path offers something different.
What matters is finding the route that works for you, your circumstances, your interests, and the way you learn best. Theatre needs a range of voices and experiences, and there’s space for more than one way in.
There isn't one fixed pathway. Find the route that suits you, and start there.
Our BA (Hons) Drama, Theatre and Directing course offers you numerous opportunities to both perform in and direct your own performance work, as well as working with pre-existing texts.
This will develop your creative and theoretical skills ready for real-world application after you graduate, as you learn to cultivate your own ideas in response to seeing other contemporary performance practices and the world around you.
You will explore the cultural and critical significance of dramatic practice, process and product throughout history, as you consider a wide range of historical and social theatre practices and contexts.
When you graduate you will have a confident understanding of the complimentary disciplines of drama, theatre and directing, alongside a range of practical experiences suited to diverse careers in a range of professional contexts.
We have a strong link to the world-renowned Chichester Festival Theatre, where you will discover and experience established theatre practice and perform throughout your studies.
Head to the link to read more!
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.
This intensive Foundation Course in Acting is designed to prepare you for rigorous degree-level training. Tailored for passionate emerging artists aged 18 and above, this course builds the essential tools of the actor: voice, movement, imagination, and presence.
The course fosters creativity, discipline, and collaboration, ensuring you are fully equipped to meet the demands of professional training and beyond.
The Foundation Course in Acting at OSD has been running for over 25 years, with the majority of graduates are now pursuing successful careers on the stage and screen.
The course lasts two terms. Entry is by audition only.
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.
Italia Conti
This is a dynamic and demanding course based on the values of classical acting, adapted to suit the needs of the contemporary world and the artists of today.
The course is practical, not theoretical and provides a thorough training in vocal, physical and imaginative techniques which will support you in discovering your full creative potential. Our approach will provide you with the ability to continue learning and developing beyond these three years and throughout your professional life.
As a year group company you will be taught in classes and through regular one-to one tutorials across all of the core disciplines. You will have many opportunities to work collaboratively with leading directors, writers and designers from theatre, film and television as well as meeting key industry casting directors and agents.
You will be taught in group classes and through regular one-to one tutorials across all of the core disciplines. You will have many opportunities to work with leading practitioners from theatre, film and television as well as key industry casting directors and agents.
In your final year you will make your transition into the performing arts industries by spending your final term in London making work with directors and writers and performing at venues in London.
The Cultural Learning and Participation Officer Apprenticeship provides hands-on experience, mixing practical and administrative work with college learning underpinning your experiences.
Over the course of the Apprenticeship you will gain professional experience in arts administration, practical workshop delivery, project management and leadership, and will receive on-going mentoring and coaching from the Learning, Education and Participation (LEAP) Team and Chichester College staff. You will predominately support the Children and Young People strand of the LEAP programme.
You will work towards completing a formal apprenticeship in Cultural Learning and Participation, which is celebrated and monitored throughout the role in a portfolio of work, culminating in an End-Point Assessment.
