18-Month Residency

This is an opportunity for a regional, building-based theatre company to host an early career director/theatre maker for 18 months.

The successful 18-month resident assistant director will have the chance to gain a wide range of experience, including developing their craft as a director/maker of work, learning about the how the building operates and addressing issues of cultural leadership. The director/theatre maker is mentored by the artistic director throughout the residency and they are recruited through an open application process facilitated by RTYDS.

We invite applications/expressions of interest from theatre companies interested in the residency and ask them to outline an activity plan and training programme for the director/theatre maker. We understand that programme planning is challenging right now but hope the placements can play a part in theatres recovery planning. We anticipate the directors starting residencies in autumn/winter 2021, but the timing will be at the mutual agreement of the resident assistant director, the theatre and RTYDS.

The RTYDS Board selects the host theatre companies to take part in the scheme and RTYDS works closely with the artistic directors of the host company to recruit a resident assistant director through an open application process.

We are working in partnership with Ramps on the Moon and at least one of the four RTYDS 18-Month Residencies starting in 2021 will be awarded to a D/deaf or disabled director/theatre maker. Theatres applying must be committed to making this opportunity inclusive, and adapting to the applicant’s circumstances, including if they have been shielding or continue to shield.

Funding: RTYDS provides a sum to each theatre company for the 18-month period. This is to cover a salary of £25,000pa for the resident assistant director and any on-costs.

In this round of applications, we are looking for a new partner to join the existing RTYDS 18-Month Residency hosts.

The residency is for early career directors/theatre makers with no less than 18 months’ professional experience and demonstrable commitment to a career as a director/theatre maker.

They will have an interest in regional theatre and developing audiences. As well as making work, they will be interested in the artistic and operational running of a building, cultural leadership and the wider role of the artistic director.

For the director/theatre maker, the 18-Month Residency is a chance to progress both their practice and artistic evolution and be a catalyst for a step change in their development.

There is no upper age limit, but the director must be over 18 years old and resident in the UK at point of application.

This residency is aimed at professional building-based producing theatre companies in England (outside London), with a practicing artistic director, a track record of education and outreach work and of artist development. Partnerships between venues will be considered.

Mid-scale touring or peripatetic producing companies may be considered in exceptional circumstances and they can apply as a consortium partner or in partnership with a building-based theatre.

You can take part in more than one of our programmes at the same time. If you do so, you need to make clear how the strands would complement and support each other and demonstrate that you have the capacity to support more than one initiative.

The artistic director is required to take an active part in the selection process of candidates alongside the RTYDS. They will be required to consider up to 100 longlisted applications and select and interview a shortlist of 20 directors in a two-stage interview process.

We expect the successful participant to be mentored by the artistic director and to gain a wide range of experience, which will ideally include assistant directing on productions, as well as programming, script reading and artist development. They will be given experience in all the theatre’s functions and learn about strategic planning, finance, development, producing, press and marketing, administration etc.

The participant must be offered an opportunity to make work as part of the residency. This might include directing rehearsed readings, research and development projects, young people’s work but ultimately will include the opportunity to direct a resourced piece of work.

The residency will start in 2021 and the start date will be at the mutual agreement of the resident assistant director, the theatre and RTYDS.

Your application with be assessed by the RTYDS Trustees on the basis of:

• The quality of the proposal
• The benefit to the early career director / theatre maker
• The artistic achievements of the theatre company
• Demonstrable commitment and experience of artist development

Each year we aim for a geographical spread of theatres and a mix of smaller and larger companies across all the RTYDS programme strands.

Decisions will be made by the Board of RTYDS. Individual Trustees are not involved in considering applications from theatres to which they are personally connected.

To apply:

• Download the application form

Accessible formats:

• Screen reader/Large print application form
• British Dyslexia Association style application form

Please return the completed form to application@rtyds.co.uk.

If you require a form in an alternative format from the above, or if you would like to submit your application in another format (e.g. an audio file), please contact Programme Producer, Manli Siu, on manlisiu@rtyds.co.uk.

The deadline for RTYDS 18-Month Residency theatre applications is Monday 29 March at noon.

If you would like to have a chat about the RTYDS 18-Month Residency please contact Manli Siu, Programme Producer, on manlisiu@rtyds.co.uk.

The RTYDS 18-Month Residency is an opportunity for an emerging director/theatre maker (over 18 years of age, with no less than 18 months professional experience) to undertake high quality work-based training at one of England’s leading middle-scale producing theatre companies. Resident assistant directors are also offered an opportunity to make work at the theatre in which they are undertaking their training.

RTYDS selects up to four theatre companies to take part in this scheme and works with the artistic directors of the selected theatres to appoint the resident assistant director.

The resident assistant director will be mentored by the Artistic Director and gain a wide range of experience.

As the industry continues to address the challenges created by Covid-19, activities undertaken on the RTYDS 18-Month Residencies will vary in each theatre. Ideally each RTYDS 18-Month Residency will include assisting on productions, as well as programming, script reading and artist development. The resident assistant directors will be given experience in all the theatre’s functions and learn about strategic planning, finance, development, producing, press and marketing, administration etc. As part of the opportunity to make work, they might direct rehearsed readings, research and development projects, young people’s work and direct a piece of work.

For the 2020/21 residencies, we are working in partnership with Ramps on the Moon and at least one of the four RTYDS 18-Month Residencies will be awarded to a D/deaf or disabled director/ theatre maker. We are committed to this opportunity being open to everyone, whatever your circumstances, including if you have been shielding or continue to shield.

The RTYDS 18-Month Residency is a paid opportunity, with each resident assistant director receiving a salary of £25,000 per annum.

The scheme is open to any professional director/theatre maker who has at least 18 months professional experience and can demonstrate a commitment to professional theatre directing. Vocational experience as part of an accredited training course at MA level can count as professional experience.

There is no upper age limit for the scheme, but directors should be over 18 and in the early stages of their career.

You should have a demonstrable commitment to a professional career as a director/theatre maker and you should have an interest in regional theatre and developing audiences.

You should be interested in gaining experience and skills through working as an assistant director as this will be a central part of the residency.

As well as directing/theatre making, you should be interested in the artistic and operational running of a theatre building, cultural leadership, and the wider role of the artistic director.

*All applicants must be resident in the UK at point of application* 

We are no longer accepting applications for the RTYDS 18-Month Residencies.

The application process will re-open in spring 2021.

When applications reopen for the second cohort of our 18-Month Residencies, we will provide our forms and guidance in large print, BSL and screen reader friendly versions, as well as versions based on the British Dyslexia Association style guide.