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.

Introducing Parents Unscripted

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!

Why this matters

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.

Share with your networks

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.

The Belgrade Theatre is thrilled to open applications for Midlands-based creatives to perform new work as part of See It First 2026, an exciting programme of new work, workshops, and conversations between artists and audiences.

What They’re Offering

· Two back-to-back evening performance slots in our underground Jag space,

· A paid opportunity to preview work ahead of touring or other performance opportunities in one of the Midlands’ top producing theatres,

· A chance to be part of See It First, a programme of new work, workshops and conversations between artists and audiences,

· The opportunity to take pictures and video of work,

· The opportunity to test work in front of an audience. We will also support with gathering feedback if needed.

What They’re Looking For

· Work made by Midlands-based creatives, ideally with a connection to Coventry and the local area,

· New productions (i.e. never been seen in a full production by a public audience),

· Shows that are ready to meet a public audience, at any stage of their development.

They expect creatives applying to:

· Have already secured funding or be in the process of acquiring funding to support the development of the production,

· Have already assembled or be able to independently assemble a creative team, cast actors, and hold rehearsals,

· Provide us with copy and images for on sale,

· Be going on to further opportunities (e.g. festival or tour) or planning for this in the future.

Fee: £500-£1000, depending on the stage of development the work is currently at (find further details in information sheet below)

Context: Selina Thompson Ltd turns 10 this year and we want to celebrate a decade of art making, writing, being at stuff and our obsession with Birmingham. To do this we are hosting a party! Food! Booze! Bouncy Castles! Party Bags! And of course – performance.

The Party: The party will take place on Friday 11th September, at The Edge, Birmingham. There will be a small stage, some basic tech including access to a project, simple lighting and a sound system. There are also smaller spaces and an outdoor courtyard. Pre-visits can be arranged if useful for artists, but they are not expected. The party will take place from early evening, the STL will plan the programme responsively to the commissioned works. Commissioned artists will be expected to stay for the duration of the event. 

Task: To make a ‘party piece’ that responds to one of the following five works from the Selina Thompson archive:

• Chewing the Fat (further materials also here)
• Dark and Lovely (further materials also here)
• Race Cards (further materials also here)
• Salt (further materials also here)
• Pat It and Prick It and Mark It with ‘B’ (further materials also here)

When we say a party piece, we either mean: 

• a short performance piece, no longer than 20 (?) minutes, that can be performed in a cabaret-esque set up. Can have a cabaret vibe, but doesn’t have to.
• an installation that people can leave the main party to ‘do’ or ‘experience’
• a durational performance or experience that lasts the length of the party
• Something else you come up with that impresses us so much that we make an allowance for you.

Some parameters: 

• The work must be original
• It’s gotta do more than mimic/perform the piece it is inspired by
• We will cover you travel expenses and accommodation for one night up to £250
• The fee is £1000 with an additional £250 for materials
• We will provide access support as needed for you to make your work 

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:

• Are actors, singers, dancers, musicians, technicians, directors or creatives with relevant skills
• Want paid, hands-on experience using their creativity in a real-world setting
• Are looking for more than a placement - a summer of growth, confidence-building and unforgettable experiences
• Want to develop transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication in an international environment

Camps generally run from mid-Jun to mid-August – but this can vary by camp and location.

The Albany Theatre

Vamos Theatre

Dance Consortium