Step ‘Behind the Curtain’ and take part in a free backstage taster workshop. Explore the work of the sound, stage management, and lighting teams in theatre, and discover the technical skills that bring a show to life.
This workshop is for those aged 13–17 who are curious about how the magic of theatre really happens. You’ll get hands-on experience, trying out equipment, learning the basics of each backstage role, and meeting inspiring professionals working in the industry today.
Whether you love tech, teamwork, or just discovering something new, this workshop is the perfect first step into the creative world of backstage. No experience necessary.
These free workshops are developed in partnership with Backstage Niche.
Learn it. Try it. Make it happen.
Come and get a real behind‑the‑scenes look at what it’s like to work backstage on an Emma Rice Company production. You’ll hear directly from our award‑winning technical team and get a sense of the skills and teamwork that go into bringing a show to life. Whether you’re curious about show calling, mixing sound, setting props, or touring, this workshop is a great way to find out more.
We’re looking for people at the start of their career. You don’t need experience in mixing or show calling, but you do need some experience backstage. You’ll be over the age of 18, will have had some training or some work backstage (including youth, community, or amateur productions) and you’ll be looking to take your next step into the theatre industry. We want to hear from emerging Stage Managers, Wardrobe, Sound, Lighting and AV Technicians, with an interest in touring. Or maybe you've got experience in film, TV or music production and are interested in expanding your skillset.
What’s included*:
(Subject to change*)
We encourage all participants to attend Malory Towers, either before or after the tech taster, to get the most out of the day.
9 places per workshop. Ages 18+
The Emma Rice Company is one of the UK’s leading ensemble theatre companies, and our production and backstage teams are vital, professional and playful part of the family. Our Training Programme runs workshops and courses to inspire the next generation of theatre makers.
At Emma Rice Company, we actively encourage people from a variety of backgrounds with different experiences, skills, and stories to join us and influence our work. We know that people who are D/deaf disabled or neurodiverse, from the global majority and / or from a lower socio-economic background are under-represented in the theatre industry. Therefore, if someone identifies as having one or multiple of these protected characteristics, we are particularly interested in meeting them.
Please note as Emma Rice Company offers this workshop around the country, preference will be given to local people. We consider our taster as being an ideal way to connect with budding technical theatre specialists that we wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to meet.
Dates & Venues
Friday 8th May - Theatre Royal Bath
Wednesday 20th May - Brighton Festival
Friday 29th May - Leeds Playhouse
Friday 12th June - Manchester Home
Friday 29th June - Liverpool Playhouse
Friday 17th July - Yvonne Arnaud
Thursday 30th July - Alexandra Palace
Theatre Royal Bath - 10th April
Brighton Festival - 10th April
Leeds Playhouse - 16th May
Manchester Home - 30th April
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse - 5th May
Yvonne Arnaud - 4th June
Alexandra Palace - 17th June
Discover how a theatre really works from the inside.
Chichester Festival Theatre's week‑long Work Experience programme gives you the chance to explore a wide range of departments, including Technical, Learning, Education and Participation (LEAP), Marketing, Development, Producing, Finance, Box Office and Front of House. You’ll be surprised by the huge variety of roles that make theatre happen and the many ways your talents can fit in.
They’re looking for passionate individuals who can tell them why this opportunity matters to them and what they hope to gain. By the end of the week, you’ll leave with a clearer sense of where you might belong in the arts, inspiration for future opportunities and insight into the incredible teamwork behind the work on their stages.
For more information and to apply, click the opportunity link below!
Work experience offers practical, hands-on insight into the theatre industry, helping you build skills, confidence, and a clearer understanding of different career pathways. It’s an ideal first step when exploring a future in theatre. As an initial step, we recommend getting in contact with your local theatre to see if they offer any work experience opportunities.
While many people associate theatre careers with performing, there are a huge number of offstage roles that make productions possible. From stage management and lighting to marketing, producing, costume, sound, and technical theatre, work experience allows you to explore these departments and discover which areas interest you most. Taking part in work experience placements can provide a range of valuable benefits, including:
Understanding How Theatres Work:
Working within a theatre environment allows you to see how different departments collaborate to bring a production to life. This perspective is incredibly valuable if you're considering a career in the sector.
Developing Practical Theatre Skills:
Work experience often gives you the chance to assist with real tasks, whether that’s supporting technical teams, observing rehearsals, helping front-of-house teams, or working with marketing and administration departments.
Building Confidence and Professional Skills:
Being part of a professional environment helps you develop communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills that are essential across the creative industries.
Making Connections in the Theatre Industry:
The theatre industry is highly collaborative. Work experience placements can introduce you to professionals working in the field and help you begin building a network within the industry.
Strengthening Future Applications:
Whether you're applying for drama school, university courses, apprenticeships, or entry-level roles, work experience demonstrates enthusiasm, initiative, and commitment to the sector.
Many theatres and arts organisations across the UK offer work experience placements, shadowing opportunities, and youth programmes. Availability and application processes vary, but the following organisations regularly provide opportunities for young people interested in theatre careers:
London
South of England
Midlands
North of England
North of England
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
You may also want to check the websites of theatres local to you, as many venues offer placements throughout the year or during school holidays.
Work experience is one of the most valuable ways to begin exploring opportunities in theatre. It provides a clearer understanding of how productions are created and how different departments work together behind the scenes.
Whether your interests lie in technical theatre, production, stage management, marketing, or theatre administration, gaining offstage experience is an excellent way to start your journey in the industry.
Taking place from Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April 2026, the programme runs daily from 10:00am until approximately 3:00pm and offers students aged 14–18 an engaging and practical insight into the many careers that exist behind the scenes in theatre.
This will be a fun and inspiring week hosted across various theatres in the West End. Across the four days, students will explore key areas of theatre-making including:
The programme provides hands-on workshops, industry insight, and the opportunity to meet professionals working across the creative industries.
As part of the experience, students will also have the opportunity to see Paddington The Musical on the Thursday afternoon, following their participation in the weeks sessions, offering a valuable chance to connect their learning with a live West End production.
This programme is ideal for students interested in Drama, Performing Arts, Design, Technical Theatre, or those curious about creative industry career pathways beyond performing.
Course fees start at £120.
Get Technical! offers the chance to hear from members of the production’s backstage and technical teams, watch live on-stage demonstrations and learn more about what goes into the making of the West End’s leading musical Moulin Rouge!
From wigs to wardrobe to sound to stage management, the event aims to motivate and inspire young people to consider a career in backstage positions in the performing arts industry. Attendees will be shown how the different technical departments work together to create the production and be given a sneak peek of some of the stage secrets and magic behind the show.
Backstage and technical team members will also share stories from their own career journeys and give tips for getting into the industry.
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.
Worcester Theatres are proud to announce an exciting opportunity for 16–21-year-olds to develop skills and gain hands-on experience in the technical theatre industry through the NT Connections Technical Theatre Programme, held at the Swan Theatre in Worcester. Committed to breaking down barriers within the arts industry, Worcester Theatres aim to make careers in theatre more accessible to young and emerging talent across Worcestershire.
The NT Connections Technical Theatre programme is a free opportunity and is ideal for any young person looking to build new skills, get real backstage experience, and learn how theatre really works behind the scenes of a production. The programme will take place over three days on Monday 30 March, Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 1 April 2026 at the Swan Theatre.
Participants will learn the basics of stage lighting, sound and backstage communication systems, and take part in specialist workshops including lighting programming, sound mixing, flying and rigging, and hands-on sessions using QLab software. They will also gain practical experience with professional technical equipment and provide technical support for productions during the NT Connections Festival 2026 at the Swan Theatre. A £50 travel bursary will be available to support travel costs, and the NT Connections Technical Theatre Programme is funded by the National Theatre.
The NT Connections Technical Theatre programme can be the start of a promising career in the technical theatre industry, as proven by Worcester Theatres’ Theatre Technician, Lewis Carey who took part in the programme back in 2022.
Lewis Carey, Theatre Technician at Worcester Theatres said, “I first took part in the NT Connections Technical Theatre programme four years ago at Worcester Theatres, and got to oversee how a professional theatre puts on multiple shows. After completing my first successful NT Connections technical theatre programme in 2022, I was hired as a Junior Theatre Technician though an apprentice scheme at Worcester Theatres.
I have since been involved in the NT Connections Festivals for the last three years, with last year running all of the lighting programming and designing for the events. The programme gave me a great opportunity to start my career and work with people who have lots of experience in theatre and all aspects of the technical industry.”
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:
Join one of RADA’s upcoming Open Days for an inside look at our Foundation Degree in Technical Theatre and Stage Management.
You’ll have the opportunity to meet our students and staff, explore our training spaces, visit technical departments, and find out more about life at RADA including funding, student support, and career pathways.
Open Days 2025-2026:
At RADA, we enable exceptional technicians, managers, designers and makers to thrive through world-leading, industry-focused training that blends hands-on experience with professional practice.
Whether you’re exploring lighting, sound, props, scenic art, or stage management, our open days are the perfect chance to discover how RADA can help you become a highly skilled and creative theatre-maker.
