About Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme

The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS) was started in 1960 by ABC Television to help further the careers of aspiring theatre producers and directors. Its founders believed that television owed a debt of gratitude to the theatre for its supply of creative talent.

Jack Andrews MBE administered the project for 20 years and over this time ensured that it continued to grow from strength to strength. In 2007 he retired and invited the Young Vic to take over his managerial responsibilities for the scheme.

RTYDS was 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 during the pandemic 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; focusing on supporting artists who experience barriers due to socio-economic inequality.

Our alumni are changing British theatre; from Daniel Bailey (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 the Royal Exchange Theatre, the Young Vic and Ramps on the Moon.