British Youth Opera runs several programmes for people who are looking to build a career as a conductor, assistant conductor, music director or repetiteur
The Collaborator Strand
If you have musical experience (particularly working with singers) and excellent repetiteur skills, but you'll still be building basic skills and knowledge, the collaborator strand of our summer programme is for you.
You’ll be paired with an established musician who will inspire and mentor you and give you tailored career support and advice. Much like an assistant conductor or repetiteur, you'll spend time in the rehearsal room, working with and learning from our professional director and playing for rehearsals.
2025's summer programme will tackle a semi-staged version of Peter Grimes. Working with a professional director and conductor, you'll create a professional-standard show to be performed twice – at London's Cadogan Hall and Saffron Hall, just outside Cambridge. The programme will take place during June, with performances on 5 and 6 July. You'll need good availibility throughout June, but we're aware that you may still have conservatoire or university commitments – schedules will be built around the people who are offered a place and as a result might make good use of evenings and weekends.
The Serena Fenwick Programme
The Serena Fenwick programme started out as a course for singers, providing 6 months of bespoke mentoring, group sessions, one-to-one sessions , advice and support. It was specifically targeted at people who needed something extra – whether that was because they'd had a different route into singing or something was holding them back or slowing them down, like financial or personal problems.
It was so successful we rolled out a version for stage managers, and now we're doing the same for directors and conductors. If you get a place on the Serena Fenwick programme, you'll get 6 months of personal mentoring from industry professionals, bespoke career guidance, CV advice and introductions to people in the industry. You'll also be able to take part in BYO's summer production and be put forward for shadowing opportunities with our industry partners over the summer.
The programme is open to all and is fully bespoke, with everything fitted around your existing knowledge and experience. However you'll need some good quality experience and need to be able to demonstrable commitment to pursuing a career in conducting.
Serena Fenwick and Summer Programme deadlines: 12pm, 14 October 2024
Taking part in any BYO programme is free, and there is no application fee beyond your membership to BYO hub.
BYO offers reduced or free BYO hub premium membership to care leavers, people granted asylum in the UK, people seeking asylum in the UK, full or part time careers, people with no immediate family or no connection to them, single parents, people with physical or mental disabilities and people with long term illnesses.
This course is designed to equip students with the skills needed to pursue roles in the technical theatre and stage management industry.
The course offers a high degree of practical experience to take students through the various grades of technical theatre and stage management with the ultimate goal of students entering the profession after completion. Upon completion of the programme students will have a considerable amount of experience working on our vast output of public performances with professional directors; students will also have a sizeable portfolio of work which will help them to gain employment.
Students will study a broad range of areas before moving into an area for specialism. This will be facilitated by a core team of technical professionals and a wider range of industry freelancers. This will help to create relationships for future employment in the sector.
The basement of Portsmouth Guildhall is being transformed into an exciting, new creative space where 11-25 year olds can meet and explore their creative potential!
The BASE will give young people access to:
From crafts, to photography and singing, to mural painting, we’ve got lots of FREE projects and workshops running at Portsmouth Guildhall. As building work for the BASE finishes up, these sessions give a flavour of what The BASE will offer local young people.
Unleash your potential at set the stage with our HNC/D in Performing Arts. Tailored pathways offer students the opportunity to specialise in dance, acting, musical theatre or technical arts.
Whether you're honing your skills on stage, behind the scenes, or in the studio, this program provides students an excellent foundation for diverse careers in the performing arts industry.
Join Young Identity's weekly workshops—completely free! Led by outstanding facilitators, versatile poets and established spoken word performers.
MONDAYS 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Our HOME workshop is a vibrant large-scale workshop in partnership with one of the most eclectic art centres in Manchester. We use our workshops there to respond to art exhibitions, films, and theatre in both written and performance forms. They are led by a team of rotating facilitators delivering a different curriculum every six weeks.
HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN
Ages 13-25
TUESDAYS 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Our Central Library workshop is in partnership with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust, giving us access to archives, stories and canons from incredible writers of colour. We look at form, performance, storytelling and broadening participation and knowledge of Global Majority artists. They are led by Alumni, Facilitator, Creative Practitioner and Young Identity mentor Reece Williams.
Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Centre and Education Trust, Lower Ground Floor, Central Library, M2 5PD
Ages 13-25
OLD TRAFFORD WEDNESDAYS 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Our Old Trafford workshop takes place at the heart of the Old Trafford at OT Creative Space. Led by local Facilitators, participants explore poetry and performance through fun writing activities, games and discussions. It's a supportive environment where everyone, regardless of experience, can develop their skills and share their work with confidence.
OT Creative Space, 27 Ayres Rd, Old Trafford, Manchester M16 9W
Ages 13-25
RESPECT & DIGNITYMONDAYS 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Our Respect and Dignity workshop is our project run in partnership with Respect and Dignity Arts. Led by Waqar Ahmed with students from across Burnley, Accrington and Nelson, they write about heritage and community with a focus on the experiences of a new generation and defining their place in present times
The Best Light Community Hub, Market Square, Nelson, BB9 7LP
Ages 13 -18
Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability.
The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for:
One or Two Year Theatre, Film & TV Technician Course (Incorporating HNC in Technical Theatre / HND Technical Theatre and Production Arts)
There are very few places in Scotland when you can study technical theatre and film and television production arts, but we can go much further than that.
Our course is focused on a FULL TIME - 5 days a Week course, to develop real practical skills, knowledge and experience in Theatre, Film and Television.
With our expertise and your commitment, determination and hard graft, that's the goal - to get you WORKING in one of the most exciting and creative industries in the world.
If you are in year 11 or 12 and are looking to take the next steps towards your career behind the scenes of stage and screen, then this course is for you. This vocational course combines industry practice and creative skills. You will study in our in-house Theatre and TV Studios, using our external hire and employer links to prepare for successful career progression.
Lighting and Sound operation are just few of the elements required to put together a production. This course looks at each of these and more, helping you develop skills that are transferable from an arena sized concert or a theatrical production all the way to small scale touring venue.
This course looks into the alternative side of the industry; business and people management alongside the more obvious aspects of the course such as stage management, theatre design and operations. We will teach you a wide range of skills required to successfully and skilfully put on stage/screen productions. From learning how to maintain and operate technical lighting and sound equipment, to running a live audience event and managing the backstage area of a production.
There will be no shortage of hands-on experience on this course. You will work as a crew member in Kingston College's in-house theatre, gaining an understanding of design, operative and management roles and responsibilities.
Only available to those who are joining at aged 16, this course is a stepping stone to a backstage career in the theatre and related industries.
You will study a wide range of skills in set design, costume, lighting and sound along with stage and production management. This course will give you the foundation you need to pursue a career in the performing arts industries. Students typically progress into apprenticeships, Higher Education or direct entry into the profession.
The BRIT School offers extensive theatre facilities, giving you the chance to learn and develop a wide range of practical skills. The course is staffed by experienced theatre professionals and much of the learning is delivered through work on fully realised productions. The experience you will gain on this course will prepare you for a career in Production Arts and production design. At the end of the two year course you will achieve a UAL, Level 3 Extended Diploma in Production Arts, equivalent to three A levels.
The Technical Theatre course will give you the opportunity to gain the qualifications, skills and experience to progress in the Performing Arts Industry or in any industry you wish to go on to study after the two years.
The Technical Theatre qualification offers a diverse range of subjects giving you an insight into the industry enabling you to develop analytical, creative production and technical skills. Some of the areas covered within the course include lighting, sound, costume, set construction and Stage Management.
This course provides a professional training in a theatre, with state-of-the-art facilities. The Miskin is run by experienced industry professionals.
All assignments are modelled on professional practice, learners will also have the opportunity to participate in work experience.
What qualification will I gain?
UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing & Production Arts (Technical Theatre)
