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.
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.
Got ideas, energy, and something to say? We want you on our Young Committee.
Be part of the conversations, shape what we do, and actually make an impact. 🎉
Please email anine.solomon-gardner@theatreroyal.org.uk to express your interest.
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.
Little Angel Theatre, awarded Fringe Theatre of the Year 2024 by The Stage, is seeking an Assistant Workshop Facilitator to support its Creative Learning team. Since opening in 1961, Little Angel Theatre has been dedicated to creating inspiring puppetry and storytelling experiences for young audiences. Rooted in Islington, the theatre works closely with its diverse local community to make arts engagement accessible and inclusive for all.
The Assistant Workshop Facilitator will support the development and delivery of participatory workshops, including puppetry, drama, and arts activities for children and families. Working alongside skilled facilitators, the role involves assisting with planning, preparation, participant engagement, and evaluation to ensure workshops are welcoming, creative, and well organised.
Required:
Desirable:
DBS:
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.
Are you interested in a career at sea and willing to live and work onboard a Disney Cruise Line vessel?
Excellent Recruitment are currently recruiting for the position of Youth Activities Counselor for Disney Cruise Line.
As a Youth Activities Counselor you will interact and supervise children ages 3-17 year old by providing a safe and entertaining environment in their Youth Activities spaces onboard their ships & paradise locations. You will need to be flexible with your work schedule, job tasks, and work locations as you start your new adventure in the Youth Activities department. You will also work in partnership with their Entertainment Host team, by providing program support to ensure all department and shipboard goals are met.
How to Apply:
The brand-new series of In Dialogue - the podcast for emerging artists, is now here. Whether you’re an aspiring theatre-maker, performer, writer, director or producer, then this one’s for you.
Across four episodes, these five artists dive into topics like nailing your audition, building creative partnerships, touring as a performer and producing autobiographical work.
If you're looking to elevate your creativity and your career, make sure to tune in – this is one series you won’t want to miss!
First episode is now available to stream, search Scottish Youth Theatre wherever you get your podcasts or use the link in the bio to listen now.
Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s Backstage Roadshow will take a series of FREE backstage skills workshops directly into UK state schools, introducing children and young people to the variety of creative pathways and career opportunities that exist within theatre, live events, television and film.
Led by industry professionals and designed by the School’s Production Arts staff, the Backstage Roadshow will take professional equipment into schools to provide a crucial insight into one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors and inspire young people to train and work in the creative industries.
Our team will also be offering full technical support to two primary school productions each year, bringing our lighting, sound, and stage management equipment, along with staff to help run your show.
How it works
The Backstage Roadshow will run for the Academic Years of 2024/25 and 2025/26, with support offered for one Primary School production in December and one in June or July.
What do we bring to your school?
For workshops, please complete your expression of interest via this form.
Shortlisted schools will be contacted for an online meeting to discuss the options, prior to a site-visit being arranged ahead of any firm offer for the Backstage Roadshow to visit.
Primary schools, please register here.
