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.
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.
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.
You can apply for between £500 and £50,000.
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.
The Support for Individual Artists Programme (SIAP) is a range of schemes which aim to support artists across all disciplines to create work and develop their practice
The Project Funding for Individuals scheme aims to support the wide range of activity that can be undertaken by artists of all disciplines in relation to their practice, and to enable innovation and experimentation. A “project” and its associated costs can be any activity that develops and supports your creative practice.
Project proposals could, for example, be any of the activities below - or a combination of them:
If you are looking for information on other Support for the Individual Artist Schemes, guidance notes for all schemes are available from artscouncil-ni.org/funding/funding-for-individuals You should read the guidance notes for each scheme to find the most suitable for you and your project idea.
Fancy trying improv comedy and seeing what it’s all about? Want to play and explore with a friendly group of beginners? Our one-day Intro to Improv Lab is for you.
Our Intro to Improv one-day intensive is a supportive environment introducing you to the basics of improv comedy through games and exercises. Whether you’re a stand-up comedian or an actor looking to branch out, or if you’re completely new to all of it – you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
You will be working with exciting industry professional Charlie Vero-Martin to playfully discover the art of improv, as well as developing skills to build your comedy practice. Charlie is an improviser, comedian, actor and writer with over 18 years of experience. You might recognise her from one of many sell-out and award-winning Edinburgh Fringe shows, or you might know her as a finalist in the Funny Women Stage Award and Leicester Square Theatre Sketch-Off. She writes comedy for BBC and Hat Trick Productions, and has taught improv and character comedy at Hoopla Impro, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and independently. Experienced with clowning, movement and character work, Charlie will lead you through the process of discovering your inner improviser and playing with the group.
Don’t be shy – join us for a day of improv comedy joy.
Course structure
We ask that participants commit to attending the full day.
Applications & Fees
There are 16 places available for this one-day intensive (we keep the numbers low because we want to make sure everyone gets plenty of time in the workshop). The application process is quick and easy – it should take 20 minutes tops. Just go to this form and let us know a bit about yourself and why you want to do the Lab. That’s it!
The fee is £25, with partial and full bursaries available to those on Universal Credit and other welfare benefits. If you are not eligible for a bursary but cost is a barrier to participating, contact us at engagement@sohotheatre.com and we can discuss payment options
York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre exists to provide opportunities for young people aged 5 – 19 yrs from our community to participate in weekly drama sessions with the aim of improving confidence, developing performance skills, working as part of a team and enabling participants to live creative lives. Our programme works across the week at the theatre and across community settings and we’d love for you to come join us.
Winner of the Little Viking’s Best Drama Class for five years running (2018 – 2022), it’s no surprise that our Youth Theatre is hugely popular with York families.
Our Youth Theatre takes place in venues across our beautiful city, including:
You can select any of the following fee bands online when you making your booking:
Sibling discount: If you have more than one child in Youth Theatre, there is a sibling discount of £5 off each young person, which can be applied to any of the 3 fee bands. Use discount code: YOUTHSIB5
If you have selected the lower priced bands we will ask to see some evidence of your situation after you have made your booking, to ensure the system is fair for everyone.
Autumn 2026 Sessions
Priority booking for current members opens on 23 June at 1pm.
Public booking for new members for our Autumn Term opens on 30 June at 1pm.
Places can be booked online via our website, in person at the Box Office, or over the phone. All places are offered on a first come, first served basis, so we recommend booking as early as possible to secure your preferred class.
Our Autumn Term runs for 10 weeks from the week commencing 21 September (11 weeks for production term groups), with no sessions taking place during the half-term break (Wc/26 of October).
Mon 21 Sep - Wed 23 Sep
Mountview’s one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Stage and Production Management is designed for those looking to enter the profession with limited theatre experience, consolidate existing training, or progress to the next stage of their career.
The course particularly welcomes career-changers and graduates from a wide range of academic backgrounds who have developed an interest in stage and production management through university drama societies, amateur theatre, or other practical performance-making experiences. It is also well-suited to applicants who have already undertaken relevant training or built-up industry experience and are seeking further professional practice, a recognised postgraduate qualification, or the opportunity to strengthen and refine their skills within a conservatoire-style environment.
Students work in a fast‑paced, professional production setting, engaging with a broad range of productions while developing essential practical, creative, organisational and critical thinking skills. The programme balances hands-on production work with theoretical and professional development, preparing students for a sustainable career in the creative arts.
The Diploma offers a clear route to increased employability and professional progression. For those already working in the industry, it provides the opportunity to deepen expertise, expand professional networks, and move forward with confidence into more advanced roles.
COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY
This is a one-year full-time vocational course and is ideal for students who wish to develop their experience and skills in management, theatre production arts or technical theatre through practical work in professional theatre environments.
The course is delivered through:
The course is taught by Mountview’s resident team of tutors, alongside industry professionals who work alongside the students on productions. Previous guest tutors have included professionals from Punchdrunk, Hamilton, The Globe and National Theatre.
This 2-year, part-time MA is a creative and challenging exploration into the power of socially engaged arts. We aim to develop the next generation of cultural leaders and interdisciplinary theatre practitioners. Graduates will lead the way in providing meaningful, inclusive arts experiences that address social, political and educational issues in a broad range of settings.
The course offers a holistic programme that invites creative reflection on the power of storytelling for social transformation. Students address complex issues in critical and creative ways, considering the role of arts in education, migration and exile, health and building communities. You’ll engage with course learning through practical exploration, collaboration, group discussion, independent study and reflective practice.
Delivered part-time, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including professionals working in youth, community and/or education settings as well as performers looking to develop and diversify their practice.
VISITING AND GUEST PRACTITIONERS
In addition to the core Mountview team, students work with visiting lecturers and practitioners from a range world-class organisations. These include Turtle Key Arts, Punchdrunk Enrichment, Complicité, Clod Ensemble, Unicorn Theatre, Clean Break, Theatre Peckham, Candoco Dance Company, Brixton House, Wales Millenium Centre, Tate Modern, Glasshouse Theatre and Access All Areas.
Topics covered by visiting lecturers are varied and include:
Students are supported to discover placements for their independent research projects based on their specific interests and emerging ideas and practice. Recent partnerships include Newham Children In Care Council, Little Fish Theatre Company and Tropical Pressure Festival, among others.
COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY
There is one day of in-person teaching each week, with one additional Friday and Saturday each term.
Throughout the course students develop skills in critical thinking, facilitating, devising, leading, producing, discussing and teaching creatively and imaginatively. Study involves workshops, lectures and seminars as well as independent collaborative and solo practice/research. Students are assigned weekly reading materials to digest course themes and engage in learning through independent study.
Reciprocal and collaborative learning is embedded into course practice. Students are provided with opportunities to design and lead practical workshops for one another, to bring topics for facilitated discussion with their Course Leader and to choose areas of focus for specific assessments, based on their interests and experiences.
Practical areas of study include collaborative and ensemble techniques, forum theatre, arts for wellbeing, devised theatre, inclusive and trauma informed practices, arts and money, decolonial feminist approaches, facilitating in multilingual and multifaith spaces, and ethics in artistic practice.
Students gain practical experience running workshops in schools, both in Peckham and further afield – previous locations include Spain and Nigeria.
Students engage in a wide range of texts such as Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks and Theatre for Living: The Art and Science of Community-Based Dialogue by David Diamond.
Assessments are varied and include essays, talks, education packs, presentations, and workshop samples.
Overview
Weekly acting classes for LGBTQIA+ people at The Two Brewers, Clapham. Mondays: 6:30–10pm with award-winning theatre director, Andrew Keates
Queer Theatre invites you to join our weekly acting classes for LGBTQIA+ people, held every Monday from 7pm to 10m at the iconic queer venue, The Two Brewers in Clapham. Led by award-winning theatre director Andrew Keates, our classes welcome LGBTQIA+ people of all acting abilities, from seasoned professionals to enthusiastic beginners. What matters most to us, is building a queer community of performers in a place where we can play and grow together.
Our acting classes serve as a queer theatre lab, a safe and creative space where LGBTQ+ theatre-makers can come together to:
Hone Acting and Performance Skills: Learn about performance styles and acting techniques.
Explore Through Play: Participate in creative improvisation games and exercises designed to foster self-discovery and collaborative play.
Delve into LGBTQ+ Material: Work with scripts, themes and devise work that reflects LGBTQIA+ people, experiences and themes.
Build a Supportive Network: Make friends and join a nurturing community that supports your artistic and personal growth.
Discover Opportunities: Gain access to Queer Theatre's array of events, such as our Queer Play Reading Club, Queer Variety Night, trips, social events and networking opportunities.
Industry Showcase: We dedicate several months a year to preparing our acting class students to perform in our OutCast showcases of queer actors and writing. We invite friends, loved ones and people from the performing arts industry such as agents and casting directors to see our work and many have received agent representation and professional opportunities as actors and writers.
Monologue Bootcamp, runs in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, prepares future Drama School applicants for the audition process, equipping them with the skills to choose, interpret and deliver a monologue.
Monologue Bootcamp prepares potential Drama School applicants for the competitive audition process, through a series of workshops to help participants research, interpret and deliver a monologue.
It runs in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, and is free for participants.
Applicants should also meet one of the following criteria:
If you have previously participated in Monologue Bootcamp you are not eligible to apply for it again.
*evidence for these criteria will be required with your application.
Please fill out this form
Deadline to apply for this programme is Friday 31st June 2026.
A UK-wide free training programme for ages 18–30
Dive into the world of theatre-making and shape the future of theatre with OV Theatre Makers, a free, six-month training programme.
With the support of director Joseph Hancock and leading professional theatre makers, you’ll explore contemporary theatre-making practices to provide you with a toolkit of skills to begin developing your own work and career. Developing a broad range of theatre making skills from writing and devising to directing and producing you will then have the chance to showcase your work in a Scratch Night at a professional theatre venue.
Travel to London will be required and we’re able to support with costs if needed.
The programme will include:
