This month, theatre and arts organisations are coming together to engage a new, diverse generation of on and offstage talent to sustain the UK’s world-leading theatre industry, part of a thriving creative industries sector growing at twice the rate of the UK economy.
For the first ever Discover! Creative Careers Week (18 to 22 November), over 500 organisations nationwide – including 100 theatres – are opening their doors to 40,000 young people aged 11 and over, introducing them to creative job opportunities.
TheatreCraft, (11 November) is the biggest free careers event for 16 to 30-year-olds interested in offstage theatre jobs. Hosted by the Royal Opera House, this year’s event offers workshops, tours and talks on everything from producing, writing and directing to stage management, lighting design, costumes and scenic art, as well as expert advice on networking and CV writing.
On 15 and 16 November, a group of leading creative organisations – the National Theatre, Roundhouse, Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells, Gallowglass, White Light, Disney Theatricals, GetIntoTheatre.org, Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre – are jointly exhibiting at Skills London, the UK’s biggest careers event for 15 to 24-year-olds.
And in March 2020, UK Theatre and SOLT are coordinating major partners to represent the creative industries at the Big Bang STEM Fair, to highlight the significant demand for STEM skills in theatre and performing arts.
UK Theatre and SOLT’s Inspiring Future Theatre, which launched last year in Scarborough, continues to connect schools and local theatres across the UK over a year on from its launch. In 2019, #InspiringFutureTheatreDay gave hundreds of Westminster schoolchildren insights into the workings of the West End and trended nationwide. The day will return in July 2020.
Online theatre careers resource Get Into Theatre was launched earlier this year by The Stage, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, UK Theatre and SOLT. The website provides thousands of opportunities and accessible, practical advice for young people and careers advisors, with emphasis on supporting young people currently underrepresented in the workforce.
Julian Bird, CEO of UK Theatre and Society of London Theatre (SOLT) said:
‘We are delighted to be part of these practical projects as part of UK Theatre and SOLT’s Workforce Strategy, and especially pleased that the theatre sector has the highest number of organisations engaging in Discover! Creative Careers Week. By leading on these initiatives and others like Stage Sight and the Theatre Casting Toolkit, we aim to increase representation and develop a robust theatre workforce for the future.’
Date Published: 08 November 2019
