We are pleased to announce the return of our RTYDS Three-Month Placements, where we support six early career directors and theatre makers to take up three-month placements in regional theatres and companies, providing them with invaluable experience to develop their skills.
Theatres and theatre companies can now apply to host an RTYDS Three-Month Placement.
The Three-Month Placements are designed to support directors and theatre makers from backgrounds that are currently under-represented in theatre as a result of barriers arising from gender, social, cultural, financial, racial, geographic inequality, educational disadvantage or disability. These placements, therefore, provide a progression route towards creative leadership for artists who experience inequality of opportunity. In the short term this increases the diversity of artists working in theatre and in the long term changes the industry.
RTYDS Artistic Director, Sue Emmas explains:
“We create pathways that affect who is a leader in theatre; if you change the directors and theatre makers, you change the stories that are told, the work that gets made, the actors they work with and the audience you speak to. We believe it’s essential to see everyone represented in theatre and at every level and in every area.”
These placements provide much needed opportunities for artists across England (outside of London) to get in rehearsal rooms, to be part of the process of making work, and to learn from more experienced artists. Sustaining a career has always been challenging, but early-career freelance directors and theatre makers have been particularly vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic on the industry and their ability to develop their skills.
Alix Harris, Corey Campbell and Kash Arshad are three brilliant, talented directors who have all been supported by the Three-Month Placements. Alix’s Three-Month Placement was at the Barbican in Plymouth in 2016 and she has been leading the company, Beyond Face in the south west since 2016. Corey did a Three-Month Placement with The Belgrade in 2016, and was recently announced as its Creative Director. Kash did his Three-Month Placement with Freedom Studios in 2016 and has recently directed Oliver Twist at Chester Storyhouse and An Adventure at Bolton Octagon, which opens on Friday 4th February.
We are now accepting applications from theatres and companies to host a Three-Month Placement and you can find out how to apply HERE.
Theatres and companies can apply in two ways:
- with a nominated director or theatre maker, or
- with a commitment to run an open recruitment process to identify the director or theatre maker
The deadline to apply is midday on Monday 28 February 2022.