Derby Theatre joins UK scheme

Derby Theatre to take part in UK’s most influential training scheme for young directors.

The venue is delighted to be one of only eight theatre companies across the UK chosen to work with the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS), the UK’s longest running and most influential training scheme for young directors.

For over 50 years, the scheme has placed new talent in major theatres around the country giving them the opportunity to develop skills, not only as directors but also as artistic leaders.

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Alumni of the scheme include Trevor Nunn (RSC and National Theatre); Rupert Goold (Almeida); Elizabeth Newman (Bolton Octagon); Vicky Featherstone (Royal Court); Natalie Ibu (Tiata Fahodzi) and Matthew Xia (Manchester Royal Exchange).

Derby Theatre joins RTYDS at a time when it is offering more exceptional emerging theatre directors than ever the opportunity to become artistic leaders of the future.

The theatre has engaged in the RTYDS scheme previously.

RTYDS supports theatre directors at different stages in their careers in partnership with regional theatre companies; providing them with invaluable training and experience to develop their skills. Derby Theatre will offer a home to a talented young director who will have the opportunity to learn all about what it takes to run a company and direct plays.

RTYDS is working with theatres in other cities including Birmingham, Bolton, Newcastle, Northampton, Salisbury, Leicester, Liverpool, Bristol and Coventry.

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Derby Theatre will start their selection and interviewing process for their RTYDS placement this month.

Once chosen,the successful candidate will then be involved in, in an assistant director role and capacity, Derby Theatre’s big festive production for 2015/16, Cinderella plus Derby Theatre produced shows and co-productions throughout 2016.

They will also spend time working with, and gaining an insight into, other departments at the Theatre including: marketing, learning, fundraising and technical plus shadowing the artistic director Sarah Brigham when she is not in rehearsal and production and is working on other areas of her role.

The RTYDS candidate will also support: the Theatre’s DEparture Lounge festival, a summer festival of contemporary and cutting edge theatre; In Good Company, a professional development programme for artists making work in the region, plus the opportunity to direct a Derby Theatre Youth Theatre production. It is also hoped that they will also direct a professional production in 2016/17.

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Sarah Brigham said: “I’m delighted that this relationship with RTYDS will build on and develop the innovative artist development work we have started with In Good Company.

“I’m passionate about diversifying the voices heard on our stage and so I look forward immensely to working with RTYDS to find an exciting new voice to help bring great theatre to Derby.”

The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS) was founded in 1960, the scheme has an impressive list of past participants, many have been or are now artistic directors of the UK’s leading theatres.

Derby Theatre’s previous engagement with the RTYDS scheme included and involved:

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Derby Theatre successfully ran an introduction to Directing Masterclass in Nov/Dec 2014.

Directors worked with Sarah Brigham, plus Head of Learning, Caroline Barth, directing mentor and teacher Ellen Bowman (credits include National Theatre of Wales, Sherman Cymru and Shared Experience) and Robert Bowman (credits include the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Young Vic).