We are excited to announce our Young Technicians Course is returning this autumn. The course will be facilitated by the brilliant Constance Oak, and run in partnership with RADA and Backstage Niche.

The FREE 12-week introductory training course offers 16–21 year olds the opportunity to develop practical skills in stage management, lighting and sound with industry professionals. No experience necessary.

Previous participants have gone on to accept work experience at White Light, on our Young Company mainstage productions, and at other London venues.

We prioritise applications from young people in Newham and the surrounding East London boroughs*, and those that are currently underrepresented in the industry.

The course aims to address the imbalance and under-representation of backstage professionals from the Global Majority; lower socio-economic backgrounds; those who are care experienced; those who identify as female, non-binary, transgender; those who are deaf or disabled; and those from areas of low arts engagement.

We believe it’s crucial to create opportunities for young people to engage with artists who culturally and socially represent them.

HOW TO APPLY 
If this sounds like you and you’re keen to gain an insight into everything that happens backstage, then please complete this application form by midday on Mon 02 Oct 2023.  

Click here to view the full application form before completing your application. 

To find out more about the course and application process, you can download our Application Pack here.

ACCESSIBILITY
If completing section 4 of the form isn’t accessible for you, you can send us a video or a voice recording to getinvolved@stratfordeast.com to support the rest of your application. Please ensure that your answers to section 4 are a maximum of 3 minutes long. 

SELECTION WORKSHOPS
All eligible applicants will be invited to join us at a Selection Workshop at RADA on Thu 26 Oct 2023, 6.30pm - 8.30pm or Sat 28 Oct 2023 between 10.30am - 5pm. 

The selection workshops are an opportunity for us to meet you in a group setting, and for you to learn more about the course, take part in fun activities and meet new people. The workshops are informal and you won't need to prepare anything! 
 
Successful applicants will be confirmed via email by Mon 30 Oct 2023, after the Selection Workshops. 
 
If you have any questions, please contact Maya at getinvolved@stratfordeast.com. 

COURSE SUMMARY 
WHAT? Stratford East's Young Technicians Course 
WHO? Young people aged 16-21 from East London* 
DATES? Thursday evenings from Nov 2023 to Feb 2024, plus Sat 17 Feb 2024 (full schedule below)
TIMES? Thursday evenings 6.30pm - 8.30pm & Sat 17 Feb 2024 10am-5pm. 
WHERE? Theatre Royal Stratford East, E15 1BN & RADA, 16 Chenies Street, WC1E 7EX 
HOW MUCH? FREE 

* Newham, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham, Havering 

COURSE DATES: 
Thu 16 Nov 2023, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 23 Nov 2023, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 30 Nov 2023, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 07 Dec 2023, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 14 Dec 2023, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Fri 15 Dec 2023, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - trip to see Jack and the Beanstalk at Stratford East 
Thu 11 Jan 2024, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 18 Jan 2024, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 25 Jan 2024, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 01 Feb 2024, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 08 Feb 2024, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 
Thu 15 Feb 2024, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - TBC 
Sat 17 Feb 2024, 10am – 5pm - TBC - Stratford East 
Thu 22 Feb 2024, 6.30pm – 8.30pm - Stratford East 

Apply now

OUR PARTNERS
Backstage Niche is a community of freelancers from diverse cultural backgrounds who work in technical theatre. Our aim is to encourage the involvement of young people in production art roles as well as supporting professionals currently working in the industry who are from the Global Majority. This includes mentorships, panel talks, workshops and a database where companies and theatre establishments can build creative teams that reflect the society we live in.  

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) offers vocational training for stage managers, designers, technical stagecraft specialists and actors. We nurture creative expression and seek to empower individuals to influence long term change in the creative industry and society.

Through our Access and Participation work we create opportunities for a wider community to engage with our training. The aim of this work is: to make sure that our full-time training is accessible to students and practitioners from all backgrounds; to increase diversity across the Academy; and to affect change in the industry in which our students gain employment. Our projects are specifically designed to encourage applications from young people who are Black and Global Majority, from low-income households, Deaf and disabled, and those who are care experienced.

Funded by Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund, supported by Westfield Stratford City and Foundation for Future London.