Join award-winning producer, writer and co-founder of the Women's Prize for Playwriting, Ellie Keel, as she offers insights into how to enjoy a successful career in theatre, even in a cultural climate where artistic opportunities can seem fewer in number and more competitive when they do exist.
In a world where artists need to be entrepreneurs as well as creatives, we'll explore how to maintain vision and volition, through a mix of identifying gaps in the market, creating opportunities, building relationships, and taking strategic risks with the reward of making the work you want to make.
This Masterclass will reveal how to start new ways of working, how to sustain yourself both commercially and creatively, and how to find the support you need to make things happen. Ellie will share her experiences of engaging and retaining stakeholders, garnering support, and – whether staging a play or starting a prize competition which evolves into a registered charity – learning the skill of effective fundraising.
This Masterclass, aimed at early- to mid-career theatre-makers, will equip participants with practical tools, fresh insights and clearer ideas about what they will make next.
Key Information:
For more information and to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Please note: This event has been fully booked. Join the waitlist for the chance to secure a place!
What is the BA (Hons) Acting and Community Engagement?
East 15’s BA (Hons) Acting and Community Engagement is a three-year, industry-focused degree for aspiring performers who want to work across stage, screen, audio and digital media.
From 2026-27, this course will be based at our Colchester Campus, offering bespoke East 15 studio spaces and other specialist facilities within a creative university environment set in 200 acres of parkland.
Why this course?
The BA (Hons) Acting and Community Engagement is a unique programme balancing intensive actor training with inclusive practice and community-focused theatre-making. It's designed for performers and theatre-makers who want to create socially engaged, inclusive theatre for, with and about communities.
You’ll develop as a skilled actor while gaining the facilitation, leadership and creative tools needed to make relevant and impactful work across a wide range of community and professional settings. Alongside rigorous performance training, you’ll learn how to collaborate ethically and creatively with diverse groups, responding to real social, cultural and political contexts.
Across the three years, your training progresses from core performance skills to large-scale participatory projects, professional collaborations, internships and touring work. You'll build critical thinking, production and leadership skills that enable you to initiate, manage and sustain professional theatre projects and companies. By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to enter the industry as a versatile performer, facilitator and socially engaged theatre practitioner.
Students of this course gave it an 100% student positivity score for 'teaching on my course' in the National Student Survey 2026.
Who should apply?
For more information, click the Opportunity Info link below!
What is the BA (Hons) Stage Management?
East 15’s BA (Hons) Stage Management is a three-year, industry-focused degree providing professional training for production and technical roles across theatre, film, television, live events and the wider creative industries.
Following a shared first year, students specialise in one of three pathways and graduate with one of the following degrees, depending on their chosen area of focus:
Based at our Loughton Campus, the course prepares you to graduate as a skilled, confident professional ready to enter the industry in specialist roles.
Why this course?
The BA (Hons) Stage Management offers an immersive, vocational experience that mirrors the realities of professional production work and is designed as a stepping stone into specialist industry roles.
From the outset, the course combines practical production work with specialist technical training. In your first year, you’ll build a strong foundation in core stage management and technical theatre skills. From Year Two onwards, you’ll specialise in one of three professional pathways aligned with distinct areas of industry demand:
This focused training allows you to develop in-depth expertise and a clear professional identity, equipping you with the advanced technical skills required across theatre, film, television and live events.
Throughout the course, you’ll be embedded in production teams and work on professional-standard public productions, taking on increasing responsibility as your skills develop. In your final year, you’ll undertake an industry placement, which frequently leads directly to first professional contracts or opens doors to employment opportunities, giving you a significant advantage when entering the industry.
Who should apply?
For more information, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Are you aged 18–24 and interested in a career in theatre, live events or backstage production? This is your chance to go behind the scenes at one of Brighton’s most iconic venues and discover the wide range of opportunities available in the creative industries.
Situated in the Royal Pavilion Estate at the heart of the city, The Brighton Dome is an arts charity, three historic contemporary live arts venues, a music education service across the region - Create Music - and the biggest curated cross-arts festival in England. Our purpose is to enable extraordinary experiences where people can come together to enjoy, imagine, create and change. Discover where a career in theatre and live events could take you!
What to expect:
Whether you're interested in the technical side of theatre, working behind the scenes or helping bring live events to life, this is a great opportunity to explore the possibilities and learn from people working in the industry.
Key information:
For more information and to sign up, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Planning your next steps in performing arts training?
The Stage's annual How to Choose Your Drama School guide is here to help!
Curated using insights from more than 1,000 respondents to our 2026 drama school survey, the guide brings together practical advice and expert guidance to help aspiring performers make informed decisions about their training and future careers. Now its own standalone supplement, this is the perfect comprehensive guide to share with your students and wider networks.
To read the guide, click the Opportunity Info link below.
Apprentices from across the sector, including from RBO and National Theatre, share their experiences and advice with attendees. Come hear how what an apprenticeship is really like and bring any questions you might have, chaired by National Theatre’s Skills Centre.
This session will be hosted by Apprentices from National Theatre, RSC, Theatre People, Creative Alliance, and Chichester College Group
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Join a backstage tour of the iconic Lyceum Theatre, home to Disney’s The Lion King. See where the costumes are maintained, where the masks and puppets are created, and explore what it takes to bring this award-winning musical to life on stage.
This session will be hosted by Nancy Shakerley, Education & Audience Engagement Manager at the Lyceum Theatre.
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Curious about careers available in theatre? Meet industry professionals from various departments over tea or coffee to get real insights into their day-to-day work. Whether you’re interested in production, marketing, ticketing, technical, or any other field, ask your questions directly and learn how to kickstart or develop your career. While we will contact bookers to ascertain your specific area of interest and do our best to involve someone from your preferred department, we cannot guarantee this due to staff availability.
This session is hosted by the team at Jamie Wilson Productions.
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
This introductory workshop covers the fundamentals of prop making, prop management, and show cueing, offering an accessible entry point into Backstage work.
This session will be hosted by Emily Bull, Senior Stage Management Tutor at Mountview
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Join the Stage Management team of Oh, Mary! to call a short sequence from the play and learn about on-stage scene changes in blackout conditions.
This session will be hosted by Wyn Williams, Deputy Stage Manager of Oh, Mary!.
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
