Young Producers

A group of diverse people sitting in a room, engaged in conversation. Three women in the foreground are sitting and talking, holding notebooks and pens. Others in the background are talking and writing, suggesting an interactive workshop setting.

Have you ever wondered what a producer does and how they do it? Are you passionate about theatre, and want to create theatre and cultural events that inspire others? Are you a creative thinker and do you like solving problems? Then this producing course is for you!

Applications for our next How to be a Producer course are now closed.

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How to be a Producer course

Led by the National Theatre’s Young People’s Programme, and a host of cultural producers and mentors from across the creative industries, you will discover how exciting and versatile the role of the producer is. On the course you will learn about:

How to build a team
How to work with artists, venues and arts organisations
Budgeting, marketing and project management
How to pull this all together to create your own production or live event

This in-person course will be led by award-winning theatre producer and facilitator Ellie Keel at the National Theatre Studio, alongside experts and mentors from across the creative industry.

After this course, anyone who has taken part will have the opportunity to apply to be part of our Young Producers Takeover to put their learning into practice.

This course is for 18 – 25 year-olds and is completely FREE to take part in. The course will take place in-person at the National Theatre Studio on The Cut, SE1.

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2025 course dates

Wednesday 5 February 6.30pm + Theatre trip (Ballet Shoes)
Wednesday 12 February 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Monday 17 February 10.30am – 5.30pm
Tuesday 18 February 10.30am – 5.30pm
Wednesday 19 February 10.30am – 5.30pm
Thursday 20 February 10.30am – 5.30pm
Friday 21 February 10.30am – 5.30pm

Applications are now closed.

This project is free to take part in and access bursaries are available to support you to take part.

If you have any questions about your application or the project, please email youth@nationaltheatre.org.uk and someone in the Young People’s Programme will be able to support with this.

Young Producers Takeover

After taking part in the How to Be a Producer Course, participants will have the opportunity to apply for placement opportunities to curate their very own Young Producers Takeover.

Working with the National Theatre team, the placements will provide the opportunity to programme and produce a series of events, live and in person, at the National Theatre, alongside the Young People’s Programme team.

A group of people in white hazmat suits holding up graffiti artwork they have produced

A graffiti workshop, part of the Young Producers takeover event in spring 2022

Recruitment

The National Theatre’s Young People programme is committed to diversity and access.

Therefore, we concentrate our recruitment on young people from groups in three areas that we recognise have been most affected by the events of the last few years, including:

young people from the global majority;
young people from working-class backgrounds;
and d/Deaf, neurodivergent and disabled young people.

The opportunities above take place at the National Theatre on the South Bank in London, and therefore we aim to offer and prioritise places to those based in London, or who can travel to London easily and safely within the workshop day. This project is free to take part in and access support and travel bursaries are available to those in the Greater London area.

For those based around the UK and farther afield, we frequently offer online workshops and programmes nationally which may be accessible to you – to keep up to date about these opportunities, you can sign up to our mailing list here.

What participants say:

I loved so many parts of this project! This was accessible, fun and structured in such a helpful way! I specifically enjoyed the networking event we curated. Being able to invite industry professionals that I admire to our event – with the National Theatre as a base was amazing. All of the staff are so kind, professional and supportive of our work. The staff’s/facilitator’s patience and caring manner was very beneficial. The staff do over and above their call of duty and are so accommodating. A truly special experience and an opportunity I would recommend.

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Our funders

Young People’s Programmes are supported by Bank of America, The Maurice Hatter Foundation and the Richard Radcliffe Trust. With thanks to the MAP Fund.

Creative Careers enabled by TikTok.

The Mohn Westlake Foundation supports nationwide Learning programmes for young people.

Nationwide learning is supported by Buffini Chao Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation, Tim & Sarah Bunting, MFPA Trust Fund for the Training of Disabled Children in the Arts, Behrens Foundation, Cleopatra Trust, and The Andor Charitable Trust.

Find out more about supporting our work