Applications are now open for PROJEKT EMPOWER - our mentorship program for migrant theatre makers based in the UK.
We match 10 emerging migrant artists with the country’s most successful migrant theatre makers and empower them to become leading creative change makers of the future.
✨ This year's incredible mentors are:
Aline David
Amit Lahav
Gabby Wong
Inua Ellams
Joel Tan
Jordan Fein
Moi Tran
Myanna Buring
Nadi Kemp-Sayfi
Robin Belfield
Head over to our website for more information on the mentors and how to apply.
📍Deadline for applications is midnight 29th April 2026!
How does it work?
We will match 10 emerging artists with 10 of the UK’s most successful migrant theatre makers, and
guide them through a six-month period of one-to-one and group meetings, culminating in an
in-person celebration in London in November 2026 for the full cohort of 20 artists.
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.
Is money stopping you from taking part in music, dance or drama?
NAYT 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.
They open applications for bursaries several times a year, and the next deadline is 3 June 2026. If you apply after this, we’ll consider your application in the next round. Sign up to their newsletter and they’ll keep you posted about future deadlines.
The Young Playwrights Award is a free, open-access competition for any teenager in the UK interested in writing a play.
Your play can be about anything you want or imagine: something that inspires you, a story not told before, or ideas that challenge the world around you. To help you get the most out of the experience, we also offer support and advice at every step - including dedicated resources for schools and groups getting involved, and a free workshop at the Royal Court on Tuesday 31 March.
Sponsored by Character 7, the Verity Bargate Award is Soho Theatre’s flagship new writing award with the winning play produced in a full production on our stages.
This award is for everyone. First-time writers, late starters, people who’ve been sitting on an idea for years. We don’t care about your background or your credentials—we want a great play. If you’re in the UK or Ireland and you’ve got a story burning a hole in your brain, something urgent or funny or devastating that won’t leave you alone, send it to us. Just a brilliant idea, a bold voice, and the guts to put it on the page.
The winner will receive £12,000 and a full production at Soho Theatre. Alongside the winner of the Award, we will also be selecting another writer to receive the Character 7 Commission. This writer, selected by our sponsor Character 7 in consultation with Soho Theatre, will be commissioned by Soho Theatre and join the 2027 cohort of writers on Soho ReDraft.
Submissions open on Monday 12 January, 11am and close on Monday 13 April, 11am.
Perfect for anyone aged 18+ interested in acting for screen.
This two-day course will introduce you to the techniques and skills required for acting in film and television. Learn key techniques including how to prepare for a scene, be present and how to connect with your scene partner, to give authentic and truthful performances.
You can expect to: Explore the differences between acting for stage and screen; Learn how to analyse a scene quickly and accurately; How to prepare for a scene; Work on short, scripted scenes; Learn about visual storytelling; Draw on your own life experience using the mindset technique; Utilize your imagination to bring an inner life to characters; Develop your confidence in front of a camera.
Some preparation work including reading and learning short, scripted scenes, will be required as part of the course.
Dates: Sat 18 – Sun 19 Jul 2026
Cost: £285
Deadline to book: 5pm, Friday 3 July 2026
Perfect for anyone aged 17+ who has an interest in acting and would be interested in applying for Drama School or an equivalent programme. It is also open to actors who are interested in improving their general audition technique.
Whether you are interested in developing a speech for drama school or university or just generally improving your audition technique, this two-day course will give you an insight and introduction into the tools you need to succeed.
You will look at: How to choose a speech and what to look for; Practical exercises that can be used to unlock the speech and enhance understanding; Discussion on the audition environment and techniques to encourage relaxation and readiness; Tips and techniques to bring the speech to life.
You will be expected to engage in practical tasks on the speeches that you bring to the course to work on. The atmosphere will be informal and welcoming. You will need to choose a Shakespeare speech and a modern speech that you connect with in advance of the course.
Dates: Sat 1 – Sun 2 Aug 2026
Cost: £285
Deadline to book: 5pm, Friday 3 July 2026
Perfect for anyone aged 17+ who has an interest in acting and would be interested in applying for Drama School or an equivalent programme. It is also open to actors who are interested in improving their general audition technique.
Whether you are interested in developing a speech for drama school or university or just generally improving your audition technique, this two-day course will give you an insight and introduction into the tools you need to succeed.
You will look at: How to choose a speech and what to look for; Practical exercises that can be used to unlock the speech and enhance understanding; Discussion on the audition environment and techniques to encourage relaxation and readiness; Tips and techniques to bring the speech to life.
You will be expected to engage in practical tasks on the speeches that you bring to the course to work on. The atmosphere will be informal and welcoming. You will need to choose a Shakespeare speech and a modern speech that you connect with in advance of the course.
Dates: Sat 11 – Sun 12 Apr 2026
Cost: £285
Deadline to book: 5pm, Thursday 9 April 2026
Perfect for anyone aged 14 to 17 with an interest in creative writing. No experience is required, just interest and enthusiasm.
Put pen to paper, let your imagination roam free and conjure your creativity with this new two-day course, led by London writer Annie Hayter.
Working with Annie, you will explore a range of literary texts including poetry and fiction, and will use artwork, photographs and songs to inspire your own creative writing. You will learn to draft and develop your own stories and explore the best ways to present, perform and publish them.
Maybe you want to write about your pet goose Doris, an imagined day in the life of your favourite popstar or whatever is important to you, this course will be a warm and open space for you to freely express yourself and delve into the depths of your imagination.
Dates: Sat 18 – Sun 19 Jul 2026
Cost: £230
Deadline to book: 5pm, Friday 3 July 2026
Lyric Hammersmith is looking for young people aged 13–25 who live or learn in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham to form a Board to oversee the Young People’s Borough of Culture 2026–27.
Are you a young leader? Interested in culture and creativity? Want to build on your leadership skills? Invested in what happens in your local area?
Young People’s Borough of Culture is a two-year initiative led by Lyric Hammersmith Theatre for the Hammersmith & Fulham Cultural Compact, enabling young people in the borough to celebrate their cultural lives and linking their creativity to the local innovation sectors.
The project sets out a new long-term model for young people, education and business sectors, delivering an expansive programme of work including School Arts Week, a week of creative arts workshops for all state primary and SEND schools in the borough; Our Place, a participatory grant scheme for creative projects voted on and delivered by young people across Hammersmith & Fulham; an October youth festival taking place in cultural and creative organisations throughout half-term week; and more to be announced.
The Young People’s Borough of Culture Board will meet in person once a month to steer the Young People’s Borough of Culture by overseeing and taking part in marketing, outreach, operations, community producing, finance, governance, and more. Board members will have a direct influence on showcasing and celebrating Hammersmith & Fulham and ensuring that local young people are at the heart of the programme. This is a chance to be part of something completely new, exciting, and unique, as London’s first ever Young People’s Borough of Culture.
See the FAQs for more information.
The Board will:
The Board will meet in person on the first Tuesday of the month between April 2026 and August 2027, 5:30pm to 7:30pm, at various locations in the Borough:
Group interviews will take place on Saturday 18th April, 10:30am – 12:30pm, or Monday 20th April, 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Applicants only need to attend one session.
To apply, applicants must:
Lyric Hammersmith wants to ensure that the Board is representative of the full range of young people in the Borough, including people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodiversity, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people from low-income households, and those who are care experienced.
If applicants feel unsure about their eligibility or have any questions, they can get in touch via participation@lyric.co.uk.
Please note: Applications for this project close on Tuesday 14th April 2026 at 12pm.
