We are very excited to name the first three theatre makers set to benefit from our trailblazing Fair Play Associate Artistic Director Residency scheme. The game-changing initiative is the only leadership programme of its kind in the UK, created specifically to offer mid-career directors or theatre makers who identify as working class or from [...]
We are delighted to announce five Fair Play Advocates - acclaimed theatre directors and creators - who are backing our bold plan to ensure theatres play fair for working class directors and theatre makers. They are: actor, playwright and director Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE (former artistic director of the Young Vic, London); actor and writer [...]
We are delighted to announce that Natasha Bucknor MBE will be joining the company as Executive Director from 17 February 2025, taking over from Interim Executive Director, Sarah Nicholson. Natasha brings a wealth of experience to the company, having previously worked with theatre companies such as the Almeida, National Theatre Studio and Talawa Theatre Company, [...]
Grahame will be profoundly missed by all at RTYDS. He contributed to the company’s work over 14 years first as a consultant then as a mentor and later as Chair of the Board from 2014 to 2023. He saw RTYDS go from a single strand scheme to a multi-faceted programme that supported over 150 artists [...]
There have been a variety of articles in the press recently 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 [...]
RTYDS has today announced the launch of Fair Play a major new initiative to be developed over two years to tackle socio-economic inequity in theatre. Directors Stef O’Driscoll and Caitriona Shoobridge will join RTYDS as Co-Creative Leads for Fair Play, working alongside our Artistic Director Sue Emmas to shape the initiative. Together they will spearhead [...]
We are delighted to announce Rachael Abbey and Sarah Githugu as the two directors who will take part in our RTYDS Intensive Residencies in 2024, hosted by Middle Child in Hull and The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. The RTYDS Intensive Residencies (previously named Three-Month Placements) are a paid opportunity for early career directors and [...]
Our team at RTYDS was incredibly saddened to hear about the recent passing of Sir Michael Boyd. We will remember with fondness Sir Michael’s long-lasting impact on the landscape of theatre, as the Artistic Director of the RSC and working in regional theatres all over the country, including Sheffield Theatres and Belgrade Theatre. We [...]
RTYDS is delighted to welcome Christina Clarke and Pam Fraser Solomon as Joint Chair of our Board of Trustees. After eleven years of experience at both large and small advertising companies, Christina Clarke set up her own agency, C21 Creative Communications. The company began with a handful of clients and three other members of [...]
Following the disheartening news that RTYDS will no longer continue as a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) with Arts Council England from April 2023, we remain fiercely committed to dismantling barriers and supporting freelance artists. We continue to believe in the importance of our work in developing regional talent and providing pathways into the industry [...]
