About Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme
“RTYDS recognises the need for true diversity throughout the arts and the importance of encouraging theatre makers from all backgrounds, ensuring British theatre better reflects the world we live in.”
Nikolai Foster
Artistic Director, Curve Theatre, Leicester
RTYDS was started in 1960 by ABC Television and radically reimagined in 2015 with Arts Council England and sector-wide support to challenge and dismantle barriers in artistic leadership arising from inequality of opportunity. We partnered with organisations across England to provide professional development opportunities for potential, new, early career and experienced theatre directors.
In 2020 we partnered with an artist-led initiative called Classroom, led by working class directors Stef O’Driscoll and Caitriona Shoobridge. Classroom’s work (along with the depressing statistic that only 7.9% of the creative industry are working class) has kickstarted a new direction for RTYDS with Fair Play; focusing on supporting artists who experience barriers due to socio-economic inequity.
Our alumni are changing British theatre; from Taio Lawson (The Bush), to Natalie Ibu (Northern Stage), to Matthew Xia (ATC).
But while female, trans and non-binary, Black and Global Majority and Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent participation has grown dramatically, participation by artists from low socio-economic background is lower, showing, yet again, that intersectionality with class remains the most challenging barrier to equity in the arts.
RTYDS is an Associate Company of Factory International in Manchester and the Bush Theatre in London, and resident at Engine Room, alongside ThickSkin.
Our Team
Our Patrons are:
Michael Billington, Phyllida Lloyd, Adrian Noble, Joanna Read
Our Board of Trustees
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Atri Banerjee, Director
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Christina Clarke, Chair, Founder and MD, C21 Creative Communications
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Dermot Daly, Director
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Doreen Foster, Director at Warwick Arts Centre
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Adam Kenwright, Founder and Director, Kindred Partners
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Anthony Lau, Director
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Laura Mallows, co-Founder and Executive Director, ThickSkin Theatre
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Alex McGowan, Freelance
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Nathan Powell, Creative Director, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Fair Play Advocates
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Matthew Dunster
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Julie Hesmondhalgh
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Kwame Kwei-Armah
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Nancy Medina
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Matthew Xia
“This scheme works with and within the theatre profession in a most inspiring way. Young directors are enabled to both work and watch. The best of contemporary theatre practice is laid before them in an idealistic situation – warm, paid, rigorous, challenging and creative. I am full of admiration for Jack Andrews, its administrator for 20 years, who has spent much of his life making the scheme possible.”
Annie Castledine (Director)