For over a decade, RTYDS has worked with theatres and companies across England to drive change in leadership diversity.

Now, we’re running a new programme of work – Fair Play, which tackles socio-economic inequity in theatre by addressing the barriers experienced by working class artists.

FAIR PLAY: Tackling socio-economic inequity in theatre. A major project for 2025

Photo by Tom Woollard, Class Assembly Bradford

The crisis of class representation in the arts is well established – but it isn’t being tackled.

Only 13% of the arts sector (ACE NPO data) comes from working class or low socio-economic backgrounds. We want to change that.

“RTYDS is where it really all began; it made me the director and artistic director I am today.”

Natalie Ibu
Artistic Director, Northern Stage

Latest from RTYDS

RTYDS welcomes five new Trustees

(L-R Todd Heppenstall, Shay Kennedy, Tito Mogaji, Helen Palmer, Sally Xu) RTYDS is delighted to welcome Todd Heppenstall, Shay Kennedy, Tito Mogaji, Helen Palmer and Sally Xu to our Board of Trustees. Together they bring expertise that spans law, cultural strategy, communications, audience development, and data. And crucially, they all share our commitment to creating a more equitable theatre industry for working class creatives. [...]

RTYDS announces new resident and associate company partnerships

Photo by Darren Robinson Photography (L-R) John McGrath, Artistic Director & CEO Factory International; Laura Mallows, Executive Director and Co-CEO ThickSkin; Neil Bettles, Artistic Director and Co-CEO ThickSkin; Manli Siu, Programme Producer RTYDS; Neil Harris, Business Manager for Culture, Arts & Heritage at Wigan Council; Sue Emmas, Artistic Director and CEO RTYDS;Taio Lawson, Artistic Director and Co-CEO Bush Theatre; Holly Aston, Executive Director RTYDS; [...]