Announcing 12 new RTYDS projects

Sue Emmas RTYDS Artistic Director said “From Newcastle to Plymouth, RTYDS is creating pathways for talented directors from under-represented backgrounds to build professional careers and addressing the imbalance of opportunities between London and the regions.

“We are working with some theatres for the first time – Barbican Theatre in Plymouth, Core at Corby Cube, Mind the Gap, Gecko, ARC and Nuffield as well as building in established working relationships – for example West Yorkshire Playhouse hosted an Introduction to Directing project last Autumn where they met Omari Swanston who they are now supporting with the Three-Month Placement.”

RTYDS will support seven talented directors from under-represented backgrounds to have a paid three-month placement at their local theatre where they will develop their directing skills, gain experience working on professional productions and develop confidence and contacts.

The directors and theatres are:

In addition, five theatres have been selected to host Introduction to Directing projects helping up to fifty new theatre directors from diverse backgrounds at the start of their professional careers:

“Directing is not easy, but harder still to come across is the opportunity to learn how to direct. Directing has been the carrot at the end of the stick, the thing that you aspire to, that pushes you forward but is ultimately out of reach.  The RTYDS paid placement with a company and the opportunity to learn is a godsend to young aspiring directors like myself. To be able to do it at Contact, my local theatre, is even better.”

Elmi Ali, new RTYDS Three-Month Placement at Contact Theatre, Manchester.