Derby Theatre are excited to be hosting 4 short-term Technical Training bursary placements for young people aged 18 to 21! The bursaries are supported by Connections, National Theatre’s annual, nationwide youth theatre festival. The programme is thirty years old and has a history of championing the talent of young people across the UK.
What does the placement involve?
You will receive mentoring from a member of our technical team here at Derby Theatre. You will gain hands-on experience whilst learning about designing, programming and operating in lighting, sound or stage management as part of our exciting Connections festival. You will take part in technical training sessions in the lead up to the festival before taking up a technical role for the festival, giving you the opportunity to operate on one of our amazing Connections shows! You will build connections with Derby Theatre which could last a lifetime.
The placement involves voluntary participation, and you will receive any necessary personal protective equipment as part of the placement. Thanks to National Theatre, we are also able to help with your travel to and from the theatre.
Who can apply?
To apply you must be aged 18-21 and be local to Derby Theatre.
Training sessions will be organised around your availability in February and March, but you must be available for the following dates:
- Monday 2nd February
- Tuesday 3rd February
- Saturday 28th February
- Saturday 21st March
- Saturday 25th April
No previous experience necessary!
Equal Opportunities Form
Please complete our Equal Opportunities Form when applying for your desired role. — You can begin the form HERE
How To Apply
1. Download an application form and complete the equal opportunities monitoring form. You must fill in this form to apply as no CVs will be accepted.
2. If you want to answer the PERSONAL STATEMENT section as a video or audio file, please attach the files in an mp4 format, ensuring that they are no higher than 10MB or send via a we transfer link https://wetransfer.com/. In your personal statement, let us know why you would like to participate in a Technical Training placement and why you would be well suited to it.
3. If you can, please save the file as a PDF with your name in the file name.
4. Email your completed application form or files to jobs@derbytheatre.co.uk
5. Please make sure you have completed the Equal Opportunities form. You can find this form HERE
We would also be interested in knowing whether you face any barriers that might prevent you from participating in similar programmes – as we will endeavour to accommodate for a range of needs (i.e. race, gender, sexuality, economic background).
Closing Date: Friday 2nd January 2026 at 9am
Interview Date: Online interviews on 21st and 22nd January 2026.