Discover Creative Careers Week
To celebrate Creative Careers Week, Catherine Hayward, Learning and Engagement Manager, shares how Leeds Heritage Theatres is helping young people learn more about careers in the arts.
Written by Catherine Hayward
The importance of work experience
When I first started at Leeds Heritage Theatres in 2010, I was tasked with developing a new work experience programme, opening up our venues, and supporting the skills development of the next generation of aspiring theatre technicians, house managers, box office managers, programmers, and arts marketers.
Research shared by the Careers and Enterprise Company found that students who had four or more meaningful engagements with employers (such as mock interviews, speakers in schools, or workplace visits) were 86% more likely to go into work after leaving school and, on average, would earn 25% more. So, this really matters. Getting our work experience offer right can really create change and lead to more positive outcomes for young people.
One of the most common themes I hear when speaking to teachers (both primary and secondary) is that they want to increase their students’ range of life experiences and get them out into the ‘real world’. Teachers know how important work experience is for students’ long-term outcomes. My colleagues at Leeds Heritage Theatres, and the wider culture sector, know it too. We have a responsibility to provide opportunities for young people to learn about our industry. If we don’t, then the sector will decline.
A technician giving a demo of the lighting desk to a group of students. Credit Chris Werrett
Secondary school workshop. Credit Chris Werrett
So, teachers know it, the industry knows it and, evidenced by the large number of requests we receive, students know it. You would imagine that, after 14 years, I would have found the perfect solution, but what I’ve learned, is that there is no magic bullet for this. The arts sector changes, the education system changes, and young people’s needs and expectations of the workplace change.
We need a flexible approach to work experience that can respond to these changing needs. We need an open-access model for work experience, where students can develop a deeper understanding of the industry, have access to organisations and professionals, and have a go themselves. The approach needs to be low-cost and easy for schools to access. We need to reduce the barriers of transport, risk assessments, and the difficulties of taking students out of school, especially in the lead-up to exams. And, most importantly, our offer needs to be available to all students, not just a few.
Teachers at a CPD Day at City Varieties.
Children from Leeds Trinity Academy. Credit Chris Werrett.
Careers in the Arts Digital Resource
By launching our Careers in the Arts digital resource, in partnership with the Grand Futures Leeds Arts Network (a network of arts organisations across the city that collaborate to increase access to the arts) and funded by WYCA (West Yorkshire Combined Authority), we aimed to address this challenge.
This resource provides teachers with everything they need to deliver an experience of the creative workplace in their own classroom, including video interviews, production images, and real-world production documents such as set and prop lists, staff rotas, and marketing plans – all available for free to download.
Based on two real productions performed at Leeds Grand Theatre (Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet and Opera North’s Hansel and Gretel), the Careers in the Arts digital resource introduces eight departments within the theatre; some that may be familiar to students (inc. set, prop, and costume design), and some that might not have been considered (inc. marketing, learning and engagement, house management, and even sustainability – crucial for all sectors). Students are guided through various tasks in each area, taking on real-world industry challenges and developing skills for themselves, such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and interpreting data. They are also encouraged to reflect on their learning, interests, and motivators, present their findings to their peers, and see how they might fit within the workplace.
A screenshot of the different project briefs on the Careers in the Arts digital resource.
The Careers in the Arts digital resource is designed to be flexible. Teachers can deliver small sections in a one-hour lesson, or dive into more detail over a half term. Through this, students gain access to world-class arts organisations that are based in our city, have meaningful engagements with employers, and can get stuck into practical creative problem-solving tasks. Whilst nothing can replace the experience of being in the theatre, this resource is infinitely more valuable for students than shadowing in an office for a few days.
And the resource is available to everyone, even those who may not have considered that a career in theatre was for them. Did I mention that it’s free?!
A screenshot of the Costume Design project brief.
Take Part
As I said before, there isn’t a magic bullet. Leeds Heritage Theatres has several ways that students and teachers can learn more about careers in the industry.
For information about any of the below, please email learning@leedsheritagetheatres.com.
Careers in the Creative Industries Teachers Network
Join our network to keep up-to-date with opportunities from Grand Futures partners and share ways that we can better support you and your students. The network meets once a term, online and in person. Our next meeting is Wed 15 January 3.30pm-5pm. Email learning@leedsheritagetheatres.com for more information.
Leeds Heritage Theatres Engagement Fund
Every year, we work with young people across the city – in schools, youth groups and other sessions – to help them build skills, confidence and pride through our creative learning and engagement programme. All donations to this fund will help us to continue our work and reach more people across the region.
