Deaf Theatre Makers is delighted to offer 8 paid placement opportunities for deaf creatives across the UK. Working with our partner organisations, these placements are designed to provide hands on experience within professional theatre settings and help deaf people develop skills, confidence and industry connections.
Whether you are interested in producing, technical theatre, programming, creative development or exploring a career behind the scenes, this is an opportunity to learn directly from experienced theatre professionals.
Successful applicants will receive:
Placements do not need to take place over five consecutive days. Depending on the host organisation and your learning goals, activity may be spread across a project, production or period of time.
(shared placement across both organisations)
This placement offers an introduction to producing, programming and arts management across two very different cultural organisations. You will gain insight into how work is programmed, developed and delivered, while meeting staff from a range of departments.
areas of focus include:
timing: Flexible from August 2026 onwards.
This placement can be tailored to your interests and career goals. Working with staff across the organisation, you will have the opportunity to explore the areas of theatre that interest you most.
potential areas of focus include:
timing: Flexible.
This placement will be hands on and can be shaped around your interests and offers the opportunity to gain experience across a range of departments within a producing theatre, or to focus on one or two areas of interest if that is preferred.
potential areas of focus include:
timing: Flexible.
This placement is ideal for anyone interested in producing, technical theatre and the development of new work.
The placement will be linked to a festival taking place at Sheffield Theatres, offering the opportunity to observe and support activity during a busy period of theatre making.
areas of focus include:
timing: Applicants should be available for activity taking place between 28th September and 10th October 2026.
York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre exists to provide opportunities for young people aged 5 – 19 yrs from our community to participate in weekly drama sessions with the aim of improving confidence, developing performance skills, working as part of a team and enabling participants to live creative lives. Our programme works across the week at the theatre and across community settings and we’d love for you to come join us.
Winner of the Little Viking’s Best Drama Class for five years running (2018 – 2022), it’s no surprise that our Youth Theatre is hugely popular with York families.
Our Youth Theatre takes place in venues across our beautiful city, including:
You can select any of the following fee bands online when you making your booking:
Sibling discount: If you have more than one child in Youth Theatre, there is a sibling discount of £5 off each young person, which can be applied to any of the 3 fee bands. Use discount code: YOUTHSIB5
If you have selected the lower priced bands we will ask to see some evidence of your situation after you have made your booking, to ensure the system is fair for everyone.
Autumn 2026 Sessions
Priority booking for current members opens on 23 June at 1pm.
Public booking for new members for our Autumn Term opens on 30 June at 1pm.
Places can be booked online via our website, in person at the Box Office, or over the phone. All places are offered on a first come, first served basis, so we recommend booking as early as possible to secure your preferred class.
Our Autumn Term runs for 10 weeks from the week commencing 21 September (11 weeks for production term groups), with no sessions taking place during the half-term break (Wc/26 of October).
Mon 21 Sep - Wed 23 Sep
Develop your independence and employability with Three Compost Bins and A Theatre (For Now)
Do you want to be able to run your own indie tech? Do you want to learn the basics of lights and sound? Do you want to be more employable in the live events economy? Do you want access to a lending library of technical resources to make your own work?
Local indie theatre companies Three Compost Bins and A Theatre (For Now) are joining forces on a grassroots Live Tech Skills Lab this summer that is mentored by local legend Tom Robbins and taking place at Sheffield Theatres.
Dates:
2pm-6pm Sat 25 July - Light
2pm-6pm Sat 08 August - Sound
2pm-6pm Sat 22 August - Production
Each session is £15, or you can book all three at a discount for £40. Register by completing the form linked below.
Is cost a barrier? We are offering two free places. They will be randomly allocated from eligible registrations by Sun 05 July.
Places are limited so book early to guarantee your spot!
Leeds Playhouse are delighted to be once again joining forces with Rollem Productions, BBC and Leeds City Council to support new writing in Yorkshire and continue the legacy of Kay Mellor. The Kay Mellor Fellowship is a year-long paid opportunity for a writer based in Yorkshire and the Humber to develop their writing for stage and screen.
The Kay Mellor Fellow 2027 will spend twelve months on attachment with Leeds Playhouse and Rollem Productions. During the 12 months they will:
This is not a full-time role, and it is expected that the writer will undertake other paid work outside of the fellowship. Working hours and timetables will be agreed with the fellowship holder.
Forge Playwrights is a new project that will nurture emerging Black, Asian and ethnically diverse writers in our region.
The group will be led by Aisha Khan, with co-mentoring from John Rwothomack and Frey Kwa Hawking.
The writers will meet monthly at Sheffield Theatres from September 2026 to April 2027 for workshops and writing sessions, followed by a period of writing and one-to-one support that will lead to an opportunity to have their work shared as part of the Open works Festival in Autumn 2027.
This ambitious year of activity will support six emerging Black, Asian and ethnically diverse writers to develop new skills, ideas, and relationships as they write a full-length play.
Aisha Khan is a writer for theatre, radio and screen, director and dramaturg. Aisha recently adapted A Christmas Carol for Sheffield Theatres. Her writing credits include No Man’s Land, (Theatre An Der Parkau, Berlin/Leeds Playhouse) and Moonshed (dir, Sarah Frankcom, Royal Exchange Theatre). Aisha has also written for BBC Radio 4.
Directing credits include The Abyss by Ghiath Al-Mhitawi (Royal Court/Edinburgh International Festival) and Spirits by Gemma Bedeau.
John Rwothomack is a Ugandan-born, London-trained actor, director, writer, and recipient of the Peggy Ramsay Award whose work includes commissions from Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre. In 2021, John founded Roots Mbili Theatre, where he serves as artistic director.
Frey Kwa Hawking is a transsexual critic, dramaturg, and arts worker. He is Associate Dramaturg at the Bush Theatre, a Dramaturgs' Network board member, was Co-Mentor for Sheffield Theatres' New Dramaturgs and Theatremakers Groups, and works with a number of theatres, companies and competitions.
Hull Truck Theatre is a pioneering theatre with a bold Northern voice, known for producing and presenting inspiring, high-quality drama. From in-house productions to visiting performances, touring work and community projects, the theatre plays a vital role in Hull’s cultural life.
Based at Hull Truck Theatre, you’ll be joining a collaborative production team working closely with artists, visiting companies and creative professionals to bring live performances to life. This is a fantastic opportunity to start a career in technical theatre, gaining hands-on experience across lighting, sound, stage and production in a real working environment.
What you'll do:
This is an 18-month apprenticeship, working up to 30 hours per week (including training time). You'll gain practical experience while working towards a recognised qualification, developing skills in areas such as:
Pay Rate: Apprenticeship Minimum Wage
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.
Gain practical skills and critical insight in directing, design, performing, playwriting and more. You'll explore plays and productions covering theatre’s many pasts and presents. Discover the connections between theatre practice and its histories, theories, politics and ethics. Analyse scripts and develop performance, workshop, and rehearsal approaches. Hone your craft through ambitious production and research projects.
Thrive in exceptional facilities. We have two fully-equipped theatres, rehearsal rooms, and set design spaces. You’ll join an inspiring collaborative community of students and staff in music, film and television and creative technologies.
Our academics are leading researchers in theatre practice, history and theory. Many have worked as professional writers, actors, directors and designers.
Gain industry connections and prepare for your career. Engage with contemporary performance practice through theatre trips across Yorkshire. Build connections and get career insights through masterclasses with visiting professionals. You’ll have access to careers support from our in-house employability team.
This course offers a dynamic combination of practical and theoretical study. With a focus on collaborative, contemporary performance, you’ll investigate different types of professional practice and actively engage with the cultural industries locally, regionally and internationally.
You’ll develop your own creative practice within small groups at our specialist studios, based in our on-campus professional theatre, stage@leeds. You’ll have the opportunity to work with external partners and community groups which may include: Leeds Playhouse, Opera North and local theatre companies, schools, galleries, museums and institutions within the criminal justice system.
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.
