Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about RTYDS.

If you have a question that you cannot find the answer to, please Contact Us.

What is FAIR PLAY?

RTYDS is currently planning for FAIR PLAY, a new nationwide change programme that we hope to launch in 2025.

FAIR PLAY will seek to challenge the systemic financial, social, cultural and organisational barriers that prevent theatre makers from low socio-economic backgrounds from sustaining careers and fulfilling their potential as leaders. It will bring all its experience, processes, and networks together to support creatives from low socio-economic backgrounds and to empower regional theatres to use their own agency to tackle inequity and to ensure the future leadership of British theatre is more reflective of our society.

Freelance directors Stef O’Driscoll and Caitriona Shoobridge have joined RTYDS as Co-Creative leads to work alongside Artistic Director Sue Emmas in designing and delivering the project.

Find out more.

Why are you focussing on mid-career for FAIR PLAY?

We recognise that many talent development programmes target emerging artists and there is little sustainable support for mid-career artists. With FAIR PLAY, we hope to work with mid-career freelance directors across England (outside London) who are from working class and low socio-economic backgrounds.

When do your regular programmes open for applications?

Most of our previously regular programmes are presently on hold as we focus on FAIR PLAY.

The exception is three Intensive Residencies funded by the Annie Castledine Award which are in progress at Middle Child, The Belgrade Theatre and Paines Plough.

If you join our mailing list / newsletter you will hear when more of these are available, as well as finding out about all our future plans and what we can offer organisations and artists.

Is there an age limit to apply for RTYDS’ programmes?

We have no focus on age – the artists we work with are over 18 years of age but there is no upper limit for any of our schemes.

We know the ‘young’ in our company name is confusing. The ‘Y’ in Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme is a hangover from previous years and we haven’t had any upper age restrictions in our projects since 2012. We’re working on getting rid of the ‘Y’ so this is clearer!

What is the Royal Exchange Theatre and the Young Vic’s relationship to RTYDS?

RTYDS is an Associate Company of Royal Exchange Theatre and the Young Vic.

Our main office is based at the Royal Exchange in Manchester and we have a satellite office at the Young Vic in London. The Artistic Director of RTYDS also works part-time as the Young Vic’s Associate Artistic Director. There is no formal relationship with the Young Vic or with the Young Vic Creators Program.

What is the Annie Castledine Award?

Annie Castledine was a powerful, bold and dynamic figure in British theatre for over 50 years. She believed passionately in supporting talent development and widely championed opportunities for the next generation of gifted directors to learn and hone their craft. In doing so, she opened up the profession to new voices and fresh ideas.

RTYDS is celebrating Annie’s creative legacy with a Director’s Award in her name. Sometimes this has been through an 18-Month Residency opportunity and at others through our Intensive Residency offer.

Read more.

Why do you have a regional focus?

At RTYDS, we are committed to providing support to artists who live and make work outside of London – to rebalance the focus of resources and opportunities.

We mostly work with companies and theatre beyond the capital although we sometimes work with touring companies.

Why did you use the term working, benefit, criminal class?

There have been a variety of articles in the press about the use of the phrase ‘working, benefit, criminal class’ prompted by the advertisement for a new Artistic Director & Joint CEO for Camden People’s Theatre.

RTYDS started working with Class and Coronavirus at the height of the pandemic in 2020. The initiative was established by Stef O’Driscoll and Caitriona Shoobridge – two freelance artists. Class and Coronavirus moved to Classroom and now Caitriona and Stef are part of RTYDS project FAIR PLAY. Both Class and Coronavirus and Classroom were unfunded, peer-led projects. They were a space where artists who were working class or from low socio-economic backgrounds could get support, come together and find a community.

One of the important offers was a series of Town Halls and it was at one of these that 80 artists came together, and this is where the term emerged – working, benefit, criminal class. This was how those artists identified. We started to use it because it came from artists and how they wanted to identify. There was a lot of misunderstanding around why this language was representative of the people who chose to use it. Just as there is now. As the project has evolved, so has our language. We now predominantly use ‘low socio-economic background’ aiming to bypass the misunderstanding and get to the root of the barriers quicker.

If you want to find out more about the use of ‘working, benefit, criminal class’, you can find a note HERE. As it says: “We are not asking the creative industries to adopt this language if they do not want to. Classroom was a space to talk about class, but we cannot represent anyone other than ourselves. If you do not want to use this language, then you could use ‘low socio-economic background’ as we also do across our projects and programs.”

What do you mean when you say you want to work with artists who are working class and/or from a low socio-economic background?

We recognise the complexity around identification of class, economic and social background. We offer this as a starting point to thinking about whether our FAIR PLAY opportunities are for you.

How do I know it’s for me?

• You identify as working class, have experience of the care system or criminal justice system, or from a low socio-economic background and work professionally in theatre.
• You claim Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit, Employment Allowance and other government funds, and have done so for 3+ years.
• Do not have an annual family household income of more than £33,000 or more than £40,000 with mitigating circumstances (caregivers, care leavers, are over 18 and receiving Disability Living Allowance, Jobseekers Allowance or a Carers Allowance)
• You are a migrant or refugee who experiences economic marginalisation both in your home country and the UK

How do I know it’s not for me?

• You identify as lower middle class, middle class, or upper class.
• You have family already working in the arts.
• You went to private school not on a bursary.
• Have an annual family household income of more than £33,000 or more than £40,000 with mitigating circumstances (caregivers, care leavers, are over 18 and receiving Disability Living Allowance, Jobseekers Allowance or a Carers Allowance).

I am still at college/university. Can I take part?

To take part in all our programmes, you should not be in full-time education.