Role Overview

This opportunity is for someone interested in learning more about Movement Direction for theatre.  This role will provide the opportunity to shadow and observe the work of the Movement Director Lucie Pankhurst in her work on Some Woman by Helen Edmundson.

The role will be most suitable for someone who is a committed to pursuing Movement Direction as a career and is keen to shadow and observe the work of a Movement Director and further develop their insight and understanding in this area.

Key dates

Application deadline Monday 10 August

Interviews w/c 17 August

Rehearsals start Tuesday 24 August

Placement Starts W/C 31 August

Technical rehearsals begin W/C 28 September (TBC)

First preview Wednesday 7 October 2026

Press night Thursday 15 October 2026

The placement will be the equivalent of 8 days between the 31 August and 15 October to be agreed between the placement and the NT Skills Centre, ensuring that the placement will be able to observe key moments in the production process.

Royal Court Theatre are looking to work with early-career directors with a background in directing and/or facilitating, with particular interest in directing new writing and developing their wider skills and abilities towards future freelance careers and artistic leadership roles. The Royal Court Trainee Director scheme has had an impressive history supporting the next generation of brilliant directors and artistic leaders, with alumni including Rufus Norris, Roy Alexander Weise, Lyndsey Turner and Milli Bhatia. We can’t wait to see who’s next.

They are currently hiring two Trainee Directors with a six month shared overlap. One position will start in January 2027; the second in June 2027; each for one year.

The successful candidate will have:

Chichester Festival Theatre believe positive change can be ignited by young people. They endeavour to create an atmosphere where debate and collaboration are celebrated, where young people’s voices are heard and where there is the space and opportunity to think boldly and dynamically about how best to drive Chichester Festival Theatre towards a diverse, inspiring and exciting future.

They are looking for four innovative and driven young people between the ages of 16-25 to join their current members of the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and help think creatively about how the Theatre can work to welcome diverse and dynamic audiences. It doesn’t matter whether you have previously engaged with the Theatre or not, they want to hear from people with a variety of interests, which may include the arts.

The YAB will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Festival Theatre’s Board of Trustees, taking part in a two-way conversation on how best to make the Theatre a more inviting and exciting place for young people.

Sound like something you would like to get involved in? Please visit their website for full details and the application form to apply.

Are you passionate about theatre, creativity and working with children, young people and communities? This is an exciting opportunity to begin your career in arts participation while working towards a Level 3 Cultural Learning and Participation Officer Apprenticeship.

As part of Theatre Royal Plymouth's Creative Communities team, you'll gain practical experience supporting and delivering a wide range of creative projects in schools, community settings and across our own programmes. You'll work alongside experienced theatre practitioners and learn through hands-on experience, mentoring, observation, professional training and reflective practice.

No two days are the same, and throughout your apprenticeship you'll have the opportunity to develop your confidence, build new skills and make a real difference through the work you do.

Their Creative Communities team works with children, young people, schools and communities across Plymouth and beyond, creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to explore creativity, develop confidence and experience the arts in meaningful ways.

If you're looking to begin a career where no two days are the same and where you can make a real difference through creativity, this apprenticeship is a great place to start.

About the apprenticeship

As part of your employment, you'll complete the Level 3 Cultural Learning and Participation Officer Apprenticeship Standard, delivered by TRP's chosen provider.

Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll work towards achieving the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out within the apprenticeship standard. Your day-to-day role has been designed to give you the opportunity to develop these through practical experience, structured learning and support from experienced colleagues.

The apprenticeship combines workplace learning with dedicated training from the apprenticeship provider, helping you build the skills and confidence needed for a career in cultural learning and participation.

Salary: £13.45 per hour

Steve Wilson of Live & Local will lead a workshop about rural touring, a sector that has been around since the days of Shakespeare. Steve will take you through rural touring and the work of Live & Local and will explore how to get your work on both theirs and other schemes.

Topics will include subject material, marketing, pricing and the local and national rural touring picture. There will also be a practical element of the workshop with attendees  exploring ideas and themes in a friendly group environment.

Date: Tuesday 1 September

Time: 6pm-9pm

Steve Wilson has been working professionally in the arts for over 25 years and as well as working in rural touring has also been an arts funder, a writer, director and producer. He also performs too!  He is also a  director of Crave Arts, a professional arts company based in Worcester. As well as doing theatre work, he supports Spurs (which has aged him), plays badminton (which ages his knees) and likes to tell jokes (which ages everyone else). 

Young Directors is a 10-week introduction to directing live performance course for young people aged 13-17, hosted by Northern Stage.

The sessions consist of a series of interactive workshops, masterclasses with industry professionals, and opportunities to see shows at Northern Stage.

Young Directors will learn all about the essentials of directing live performance – from learning how to work with actors to exploring scripts and discovering the kind of theatre you’d like to create. No previous experience needed – just bring along your desire to discover more about different ways to make theatre!

Deadline to apply: Sunday 16 August

The cost of the course varies depending on your circumstances. Northern Stage have created a payment scale (see below) to help you identify which fee is appropriate for you. Fees cover the cost of the 10 sessions as well as tickets to selected performances at Northern Stage as part of the programme.

Fees are required to be paid in advance of starting the course and more information about how to do this will follow if you are successfully selected to take part.

Standard fee: £150 (If you have the means to pay for the full value of the course)
Discounted fee: £90 (If you do not have the means to pay for the full value of the course)

Bursary places: FREE*

*Bursary places are limited and bursary applications from young people from a low-socioeconomic background, from the global majority or with a disability will be prioritised, in line with Northern Stage’s strategic priorities. As part of a bursary place, we can also support with the cost of travelling to and from sessions.

The European Reminiscence Network announces a new training course and apprenticeship scheme in reminiscence arts in dementia care - in partnership with the University of Greenwich. 

This 2-day training course and 4-month apprenticeship scheme are ideal for drama, arts and occupational, therapists; arts practitioners;  community arts workers; oral historians; group workers; reminiscence practitioners; and professionals working in health and social care. An interest in, or experience of, positive approaches to dementia care is beneficial. 

The training course runs from 17th to 18th September 2026 in Camden, London. 

For more information, please see the URL in the Opportunity Info section of this listing. 

Creative Steps funds the professional, business and organisational development of artists who have experienced barriers to careers within the arts.

Creative Steps for Individuals is for supporting career development, and NOT for creating new work or project delivery. For example, creating artwork to sell online would not be applicable but working with a mentor to develop your painting skills would be. 

We want artists to identify exactly what they need to progress and professionalise their artistic career, and to remain open to exploring different ways of doing this with our support. 

We recognise that everybody’s needs are different and that professional development varies from individual to individual. However, these are some of the things that your application could include:

When completing the budget, you should include the following:

We expect all applicants to pay freelancers the standard industry rates as a minimum. If people are providing their time in-kind, we would need to know why and have this confirmed in a letter of support from them. 

The Open Fund for Individuals is one of Creative Scotland’s key funding programmes, supporting the wide range of activity initiated by artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland. The overall annual budget for this fund is £5 million.

What the fund supports

The fund is intended to support periods of research, development and/or delivery of creative activity, such as specific projects and productions for up to 24 months. It can support an individual’s time where this is related to specific creative outcomes. 

We will ask you to tell us the start and end date for this activity and to describe the outcomes, benefits and impacts that you wish to achieve.

Eligibility

Freelance and self-employed artists and creative practitioners living in Scotland who are at least 18 years old are eligible to apply. You must have a UK bank account in your name.

If you are not a self-employed individual or a sole trader, you may be eligible for the National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations.

Please read the guidance for full information on eligibility.

Funding amounts

You can apply for between £500 and £50,000.

Timescales

As standard, if your application request is between £500 and £20,000 you will hear the outcome in 10 weeks. If your application request is between £20,001 and £50,000 you will hear the outcome in 14 weeks.

Please see above for details of our 25/26 Christmas closure and the effects it will have on our processing timelines.

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.

what does the placement include? 


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.

placement opportunities


→ london: riverside studios & royal ballet and opera

(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.


→ birmingham: the rep

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.


→ exeter: northcott theatre

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.


→ sheffield: sheffield theatres

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.

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