Today the National Theatre opens applications for its nationwide training programmes as part of its commitment to offer resources, training and professional development opportunities to boost specialist skills amongst young people. These opportunities are launched in support of this year’s Discover! Creative Careers Week (18-22 November) to inspire and inform young people about careers in the creative sector.
Nationwide Young Technicians offers 13-19-year-olds across the country the chance to develop practical skills and learn about the variety of backstage and off-stage roles that exist within theatre. The free programme is delivered in partnership with HOME Manchester, Nottingham Playhouse and Theatre Royal Plymouth as well as available remotely to reach as many young people across the country as possible. Online sessions are delivered by leading industry professionals from the National Theatre, with participants being sent kit boxes to practice the skills they are learning. Participants taking part in the hybrid course will attend practical workshop sessions in one of our partner venues. The 11-week online programme covers lighting, staging, sound and video and takes place from Tuesday 4 February 2025.
Taking place at the National Theatre, How to Be a Producer explores the role of a producer. Open to participants aged 18-25, the in-person course will be led by award-winning theatre producer and facilitator Ellie Keel at the National Theatre Studio, alongside experts and mentors from across the creative industry. The free course focuses on team building, working with artists, venues and organisations, and project management skills. Participants have the opportunity to lead a takeover later in the year to produce a series of live and in-person events at the National Theatre. The course takes place over one week from 17-21 February 2025.
Launching in early 2025, a new interactive Careers in Action backstage tour will offer a deeper dive into the vast range of behind-the-scenes roles at the National Theatre to help spotlight the various skills that bring the theatre to life. Exploring scenic art to carpentry, metalwork to prop-making, the tour will be aimed at school groups, as well as open to the public, and has been co-created by sixth-form students from Chadwell Heath Academy. The tours are bookable on the NT website.
The National Theatre opens these applications ahead of this year’s Discover! Creative Careers Week (18-22 November) to increase awareness of routes into the creative industries. The National Theatre is committed to investing in skills and education for young people through programmes and training opportunities which will supercharge specialist skills needed and ensure that the whole sector can continue to thrive. The National Theatre is currently training eight apprentices across a variety of backstage and off-stage departments and is preparing to welcome a new cohort of T-Level students from Mulberry UTC who will start their placements this month. 90% of apprentices who have completed their training at the National Theatre have gone directly into employment within the sector.
Simon Stephens, Head of Skills Centre at the National Theatre, said “The National Theatre is the largest employer in the not-for-profit theatre sector, and a skills incubator for the entire creative industries. Whether you have prior knowledge or simply a passion for theatre, we offer young people a clear route to learn new skills and explore careers in the theatre sector. We are delighted to be opening applications for our courses, developing a new tour and participating in this year’s Discover! Creative Careers Week to raise awareness of those less visible roles in theatre.”
Zara (16), a previous Nationwide Young Technician, said “Young Technicians has been a great way to kickstart going into the industry and gave me more confidence to ask, to be able to then get more work experience. Having a course where you’re taught things by professionals and having specific people coming in was definitely key in moving forward in this sort of career path.”
Applications for Nationwide Young Technicians close on Monday 9 December at 10am. Applications for How to be a Producer close on Friday 22 November. To apply please visit the NT Website.
