What the Grant Supports
theatre works! offers grants to schools, theatres and professional touring companies to widen access to live theatre for children and young people aged 7–16.
We encourage applicants to complement theatre visits with meaningful educational engagement. This may include use of our free Education Hub materials before and after the performance, or post-show Q&A sessions introducing young people to actors and backstage professionals.
Funding may cover:
Grants may support:
There are three application opportunities each year.
We do not normally fund more than £15 per theatre ticket and expect applicants to request education-rate tickets wherever possible.
Eligible Productions
We support applications for professional productions only, including:
We do not fund dance, choir or opera productions.
If a production directly supports curriculum study — for example, a class studying Macbeth — funding will normally be limited to students in receipt of Pupil Premium/Free School Meals.
Seeing a Range of Productions
We aim to reach as many children as possible and encourage exposure to a broad range of live performance.
Touring companies can be particularly effective in reaching large audiences, particularly when visiting schools or regional venues.
Where applicants are supported more than once over time, we encourage variety in the productions selected.
Grant Amounts
The next application round opens Monday 11 May 2026.
theatre works!
Taking your first show to the Edinburgh Fringe but not sure where to start? Join Ben Welch (House of Life, producer from In Bed With my Brother’s PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD) and Joe Leather (Wasteman) as they take you through everything they’ve learnt about producing at Edinburgh Fringe.
This 1-hour seminar will cover:
Venue bids and how to get a slot
Knowing how to budget (and how to stick to it)
Raising investment
How to market and do I really need to flyer?
PR - do I need it?
Performances and how to survive the month!
Looking beyond Edinburgh…
There will then be a short break, and up to 30 minutes for questions!
Primary Play Your Part is a project providing newly commissioned playscripts to primary schools. The brand-new playscripts are written specifically for primary-aged students to perform. Along with a range of supporting online resources and CPD sessions, the project aims to guide primary schools through the process of creating their own in-school productions.
As part of the project, schools will receive:
We will be holding in-person CPD workshops at The Old Vic and online drop-in sessions to support teachers with their productions. A link to sign up to these will be shared once applications are complete.
In-person CPD workshops
Mon 23 Mar, 4.30–6.30pm: how to direct large casts of young actors
Wed 22 Apr, 4.30–6.30pm: how to sustainably design your show
These two-hour workshops will be led by industry professionals and will support schools and teachers to put on a successful show in their school.
Online drop-in sessions
Wed 25 Mar, 4.30–5.30pm: session one
Thu 23 Apr, 4.30–5.30pm: session two
These one-hour drop-in sessions will be led by The Old Vic’s Education Manager, offering help and support to schools and teachers on the programme.
A free online National Careers Week CPD event for teachers and careers advisors, connecting the dots from education to the theatre industry.
Brought to you by Get Into Theatre and We Teach Drama, supported by Discover Creative Careers, The Theatre Industry from Classroom to Career is designed to provide teachers and careers advisors with practical advice, approaches and ready-to-use resources for teaching theatre careers and pathways directly with their students.
Participants should expect:
We look forward to welcoming you for this unique opportunity to boost your knowledge and resources around theatre careers, in this one-off webinar on Wednesday 4th March from 4-5pm.
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.
Emma Rice Company are looking for a brilliant Technical Trainee to join the 2026 UK tour of Malory Towers as part of our Training Programme. This is a paid development opportunity for an emerging theatre technician who is keen to learn across multiple technical departments within a supportive, ensemble-led touring environment.
The Technical Trainee will work closely with the Stage Management, Sound, Lighting and Wardrobe teams, gaining hands-on experience of professional touring practice.
This role is designed to support departments while learning, with responsibilities and opportunities shaped around the Trainee’s experience and development goals.
The Trainee will join during rehearsals, ahead of technical rehearsals and previews, allowing for a supported introduction to the production and touring processes. The Trainee will be employed for every UK touring week.
Our Trainee will have access to mentoring for up to a year after the paid Traineeship.
Line Management: The Head of Production and Company Manager are accountable for the Technical Trainee. Other support will be provided by our Head of Training and Participation Producer, with regular check-ins to reflect on learning and development throughout the process.
This is a paid traineeship and forms part of the Emma Rice Company Training Programme.
Are you interested in a career at sea and willing to live and work onboard a Disney Cruise Line vessel?
Excellent Recruitment are currently recruiting for the position of Youth Activities Counselor for Disney Cruise Line.
As a Youth Activities Counselor you will interact and supervise children ages 3-17 year old by providing a safe and entertaining environment in their Youth Activities spaces onboard their ships & paradise locations. You will need to be flexible with your work schedule, job tasks, and work locations as you start your new adventure in the Youth Activities department. You will also work in partnership with their Entertainment Host team, by providing program support to ensure all department and shipboard goals are met.
How to Apply:
The ABTT Theatre Show will once again take place at the stunning Alexandra Palace on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 June.
The ABTT Theatre Show 2026 is the exhibition where the broadest collection of specialist suppliers supporting live performance technology, production and education gather to connect with others in the world of theatre, performance, events, festivals, music and more.
The ABTT Theatre Show draws exhibitors and visitors from all over the world whether they be interested in lighting, audio visual, scenography, rigging, set construction, sound, costume, seating, staging, wigs, make-up, pyrotechnics or anything else employed in a performance. A range of activities will be presented over the two days, including a variety of meetings, debates and seminars and providing spaces for all their sister Associations and organisations to meet in person.
How to book:
The VAULT Creative Arts Playwriting Award 2026 is open for submissions.
The VCA Playwrighting Award is a scheme to support early-career writers find meaningful pathways into the performing arts.
Up to 15 shortlisted writers will receive:
- Written, developmental feedback on your script.
- Invitation to a talk by Methuen Drama on getting work published.
- Two, hour-long one-on-one mentorship sessions with our Artistic Director.
- Free, on-the-door comps to shows at The Glitch, and 15% off food and drink for a year.
They're looking for:
They're particularly interested in:
- Vibrant: fun, fast-paced, colourful, and full of life.
- Intimate: makes the audience feel safe and connected
- Inspiring and Impactful: empowering and encouraging audiences to realise their potential.
- Ambitious: pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in our humble venue.
- Optimised for in-the-round: Our venue is in-the- round. We'd like to see work that fits this layout.
In exchange, the winner agrees to:
