About Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme

“I owe my career to this apprenticeship and it means a great deal to me that Curve will welcome a trainee during my first year as Artistic Director. The 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

The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS) is a professional artist development programme for new and early career theatre directors in the UK. The scheme seeks out and nurtures the most talented theatre directors at the early stage of their careers; developing their skills and experience by placing them in the UK’s leading regional theatres and providing unique training and professional development opportunities.

Current RTYDS Programmes and Theatre Partners

Introduction to Directing	Three-Month Placements	18-Month Residencies
Intensive practical training for directors from under-represented communities to discover if directing might be a future career.	For new directors from under-represented communities at the start of their professional career.	Placing early career directors who have some professional experience and a commitment to making their career as a director in theatres where they can develop their skills and learn what it takes to run a regional theatre.
2022-2023
	Paines Plough Prime Theatre ThickSkin Theatre Tobacco Factory Theatres
2020-2022
	(Temporarily reconfigured as Assistant Director Placements in 2021) Mandeep Kaur Glover at Eastern Angles Mian Rahman at Freedom Studios Hannah Harris at Mind the Gap Jameela Khan at Octagon Theatre, Bolton Siobhan McAuley at Open Clasp Theatre Company, Newcastle Sirazul Islam at Pilot Theatre Danielle Kassaraté at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Amelia Thornber at Wise Children	Sam Holley-Horseman at Contact, Manchester Lilac Yosiphon at Curve, Leicester Omar Khan at Derby Theatre Rebekah Bowsher at Live Theatre and Northern Stage, Newcastle
2019-2020
Eclipse Theatre: Slate/HOME, Manchester Third Angel Theatre The Core at Corby Cube	Mercury Theatre, Colchester Strictly Arts Talking Birds Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester The North Wall, Oxford Middle Child Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre	Sameena Hussain at Leeds Playhouse Jay Zorenti-Nakhid (previously Crutchley) at Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol
2018
Leeds Playhouse North Wall Arts Centre, New Vic Theatre Middle Child Theatre Company, Hull	Derby Theatre Greyscale Theatre Company, Newcastle New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough Watford Palace Theatre Nottingham Playhouse The Dukes, Lancaster	Leeds Playhouse Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol
2017
Birmingham Repertory Theatre The Dukes (Lancaster) Eclipse:Slate Greyscale Theatre Company Octagon Theatre Bolton Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch New Vic Theatre Theatre Royal Plymouth	Belgrade Theatre, Coventry egg Theatre, Bath Greyscale Theatre Company Cambridge Junction Nottingham Playhouse Oldham Coliseum Theatre Open Clasp Theatre Prime Theatre, Swindon Wiltshire Creative Strictly Arts Theatre Company/Belgrade Coventry Tamasha Theatre Company Tiata Fahodzi	Madeleine Kludje at Birmingham Repertory Theatre Taio Lawson at Sheffield Theatres Nickie Miles-Wildin at Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester)
2016
ARC Stockton in association with Little Cog Gecko Theatre Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres New Perspectives Nuffield Theatre, Southampton Oldham Coliseum Theatre Royal Wakefield	Barbican Theatre, Plymouth Contact Theatre, Manchester Core at Corby Cube Freedom Studios Mercury Theatre, Colchester Mind the Gap Northern Stage Royal Exchange Manchester 20 Stories High West Yorkshire Playhouse	Julia Thomas at Curve (Leicester) Lekan Lawal at Derby Theatre Ben Occhipinti at Octagon Theatre Bolton Daniel Bailey at Birmingham Repertory Theatre Rebecca Frecknall at Northern Stage (recipient of the Christopher Whelen bursary) Jesse Jones at Royal & Derngate, Northampton Jo Newman at Salisbury Playhouse (now Wiltshire Creative)
2015
Slung Low (Leeds) Tamasha and Belgrade Theatre Coventry in partnership Tiata Fahodzi and West Yorkshire Playhouse in partnership Birmingham Repertory Theatre Nottingham Playhouse	Bristol Old Vic Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse New Vic Theatre Nottingham Playhouse Octagon Theatre Bolton in association with Graeae Theatre Company 20 Stories High	Julia Thomas at Curve (Leicester) Lekan Lawal at Derby Theatre Ben Occhipinti at Octagon Theatre Bolton Daniel Bailey at Birmingham Repertory Theatre Rebecca Frecknall at Northern Stage (recipient of the Christopher Whelen bursary) Jesse Jones at Royal & Derngate, Northampton Jo Newman at Salisbury Playhouse (now Wiltshire Creative)
2014
Dark Horse Theatre Derby Theatre Freedom Studios Greater Manchester Theatres Group 20 Stories High	Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Rifco Arts

History of RTYDS

In 1960 Howard Thomas, then Managing Director of ABC Television, introduced the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme, working with Brian Tesler to help further the careers of aspiring theatre producers and directors. It was his belief that television had every reason to be grateful to the theatre for its supply of creative talent. The scheme was conceived as a way of repaying the debt.
The project continued to be run by Thames Television but went on to attract the interest of other regional network companies who were envious of its success. Eventually support was offered from all ITV companies across the country and administration of the scheme passed to the central ITV Fund. However, following the reallocation of ITV contracts in 1991, this support gradually came to an end. Thames Television, despite being one of the companies to lose their contract with ITV, asked that the project be returned to its administration. They then invited individual ITV companies to sponsor directors in their local theatres. As a result, the scheme was re-launched in 1993 with the financial support of Scottish Television, Central, Channel 4 and Thames Television itself.

Thames ultimately passed the administrative responsibility to Channel 4 and, on the fortieth anniversary of the programme, the decision was taken to rename it The Channel 4 Theatre Director Scheme. Following 12 successful years of support, Channel 4 discontinued its involvement in 2007 and ITV once more took over the leadership of the scheme until 2009.

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. In 2012 RTYDS undertook a major review of its work and the re-imagined scheme made a successful funding application to ACE in 2013.

In 2014 the RTYDS became an independent company limited by guarantee and an Associate Company of the Young Vic.

The scheme can claim an impressive list of past participants. Many directors have been or are now artistic directors of the UK’s leading theatres.

Brian Tesler CBE
“When we began the scheme in the early years of Independent Television, ABC was part of ITV’s original crazy quilt of a network. We were the weekend company for the North and Midlands and the scheme was designed specifically to support the many fine repertory theatres that graced our region: hence its original title – the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme. To watch the scheme grow in its scope and range since those early days and to observe over the years the remarkable wealth of talent it has nurtured has been a heart-warming experience for those of us who were in at its birth.”

Who we are

Our Staff

Sue Emmas, Artistic Director
Gina Fletcher, Executive Director
Anthony Lau, Associate Artistic Director
Manli Siu, Programme Producer
Shahreen Vayani, Trainee Programme Producer
Sarah Penney, Freelance Project Producer
Nassy Konan, Freelance Project Producer

Our Board

Livvy Brinson, Director of Fundraising, Kiln Theatre
Sarah Frankcom, Director and Dramaturg
Theresa Heskins, Artistic Director, New Vic
Natalie Ibu, Artistic Director, Northern Stage
Graham Lister, Arts and Cultural Advisor
Gareth Machin, Artistic Director, Wiltshire Creative
Jack McNamara, Artistic Director, Live Theatre
Grahame Morris, ex Chief Executive, Sheffield Theatres
Amit Sharma, Theatre Director
Leo Skilbeck, Writer/Director, Artistic Director, Milk Presents
Erica Whyman, Deputy Artistic Director, RSC
Doreen Foster, Director at Warwick Arts Centre
Atri Banerjee, Director
Caitriona Shoobridge, Director

Our Patrons

Michael Billington
Michael Boyd
Michael Grade
Phyllida Lloyd
Adrian Noble
Indhu Rubasingham

“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)