Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme

15/04/2026

In the last of our four audio commissions, Felix M***i shares what it’s really like to exist within the benefits system whilst trying to sustain a freelance career, and guess what – it’s not all handouts.

🎧 Listen to Scrounger in full on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on our website rtyds.co.uk/class-assembly-legacy

💬 Felix M***i: “I've dealt personally with the benefits system for my whole life. I've watched it affect family members, friends. I've seen the terrible situations that it gets people in, and I've seen the terrible rhetoric around people who rely on benefits. Calling people scroungers, calling benefits handouts and things like that. And anyone who's ever been on benefits will know that they are not a handout. The benefit system is a bureaucratic, never-ending rigmarole and anyone who's ever been on them understands that - and I wish everyone did.”

09/04/2026

Working class = effortless humour.

Our third commission, Art is a Fart by Kamal Kaan, is a biting satire on class inequity in the arts.

💬 Kamal Kaan: "It kind of touches on the humour and the tragedy of what it means to be an artist. And sometimes you have to be able to take the p**s out of yourself in order to realise that you know, yes it might mean everything to you right now, but also just think about the rest of your life and the bigger picture and the rest of the world out there.”

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on our website: rtyds.co.uk/class-assembly-legacy

08/04/2026

Any other working-class, mid-career artists relate?

💬 Nicole Joseph: "I’ve been full-time freelance for four years now and I’m entering mid-career, so there’s this tricky expectation that I’m having with myself of how I should perceive my trajectory and my career to be in terms of sustainability and stability. And it just doesn’t feel like the expectation, the reality is meeting up. It is really quite hard."

🎧 Listen to In and Out the Money on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or on our website: www.rtyds.co.uk/class-assembly-legacy

08/04/2026

Gobsh*te or cultural capital? Class is much more than how much money you’ve got.

Daneka Etchells gives an honest insight into life in an industry that doesn’t feel comfortable acknowledging class privilege.

Gobsh*te is available to listen to in full on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and at rtyds.co.uk/class-assembly-legacy

02/04/2026

🚨Class Assembly Legacy is live! 🚨

Today we’re hyped to launch four new audio commissions by Daneka Etchells, Nicole Joseph, Felix M***i and Kamal Kaan.

Originally commissioned as part of Fair Play Class Assembly these new pieces mark the beginning of our living archive, sharing the voices of working-class artists in theatre. Shout out to our amazing Class Assembly co-producers Bradford 2025, Bradford Producing Hub, Common Wealth Theatre Co, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse theatres, and 20 Stories High!

Gobsh*te by Daneka Etchells, a searing monologue on class as cultural capital.

In and out the money by Nicole Joseph, a deft and beautiful poem on coming into money and the pretence of access it brings.

Scrounger by Felix M***i, an honest and brutal monologue on the reality of trying to survive as an artist in the benefit system.

Art is a Fart by Kamal Kaan, a sharp, satirical take on class inequity in the arts.

Class Assembly is a national strand of RTYDS’ Fair Play programme aimed at tackling socio-economic inequity in theatre. It is an artist-centred model designed to inform and influence the cultural sector. Building on the learnings and success of Class Assembly Liverpool and Bradford, we want to create a further digital life for this work, bringing organisations, artists and funders into the class conversation.

We hope this work will enable the sector to monitor the evolving dialogue, witness the impact, and actively take part in meaningful discussions around class. It is designed to inspire, provoke and galvanise.

Creative team:
Director: Caitriona Shoobridge
Producer and Sound Designer: Anishka Sharma
Composer: Hugh Sheehan
Mix engineer: Nigel Appleton
Marketing and asset creation: Holly Adomah

Gobsh*te and Scrounger originally commissioned by 20 Stories High as part of Class Assembly Northwest.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts and on our website: www.rtyds.co.uk/class-assembly-legacy

01/04/2026

Over the next few months, we'll be releasing a series of audio and video stories aimed to tackle socio-economic inequality in theatre, as well as to allow for mid-career creatives to discuss their provocations towards class & access in the industry.

Our first series is Class Assembly: Legacy, where we commissioned new audio productions of work shared at Class Assembly Liverpool and Bradford.

Class Assembly: Legacy will be released on Thu 02 Apr at 11:30am and available on all podcast platforms.

Creative Team:
Writers and Performers: Daneka Etchells, Nicole Joseph, Kamal Kaan, Felix M***i
Director: Caitriona Shoobridge
Producer and Sound Designer: Anishka Sharma
Composer: Hugh Sheehan
Mix Engineer: Nigel Appleton
Assets created by: Holly Adomah

05/03/2026

We're stoked to announce some new theatre partners for Surviving on a Shoestring, our finance equity programme that trials new ways of paying creative freelancers who are working class or in receipt of benefits.

Odd Arts, Mikron Theatre Company, Northern Broadsides Theatre Company, Streetwise Opera, Unfolding Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Leeds Playhouse, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse theatres - welcome to the movement!

19/02/2026

We're continuing our dedication to platforming working class voices within the theatre industry by introducing Fair Play: Artists Talk.

We are looking for 20 mid-career working-class theatre creatives and makers to take part in creating a short, one minute video of themselves answering one of our questions regarding class and access in the theatre industry. Plus, we'll be giving £50 to the 20 people selected to take part!

Interested? Send an expression of interest by completing a quick and easy form to complete by Thu 26 Feb.

Apply via our website: www.rtyds.co.uk/fair-play-artists-talk

Artists Talk We're continuing our dedication to platforming working class voices within the theatre industry by introducing Fair Play: Artists Talk. We are platforming artists talking about what it’s like being a working-class artist

17/02/2026

We asked our Fair Play Advocate Matthew Dunster to share his thoughts on the relevance of working-class storytelling, especially towards welcoming new audiences to theatres.

He's currently directing The Battle which is performing at Birmingham Rep until Sat 07 Mar.

We're keen to share more thoughts regarding working-class and access in the theatre industry. Check back on our social media channels this Thursday to find out more and how YOU can take part.

16/02/2026

We have a VERY exciting campaign which we'll be launching later this week.

Here's a hint:
It's Fair Play related and it's something YOU may want to take part in!

To find out more, have a look at our socials on Thursday 19 Feb.

10/12/2025

We’re delighted to announce the three directors and theatre makers who will be joining RTYDS for our Fair Play Associate Artistic Director residency - the only programme of its kind in England.

We're welcoming to the team:-
- Jamie Sophia Fletcher at Leeds Playhouse - a director and musician specialising in musical theatre and new writing.
- Rikki Henry at Bristol Old Vic - a Creative Technologist based in the UK.
- Yusra Warsama at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse theatres - actor, writer and theatre practitioner.

The programme offers mid-career directors and theatre makers from working class or low socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to progress to artistic leadership with a paid 18-month training residency.

Read the full news story on our website ⬇️

We are very excited to name the first three theatre makers set to benefit from our trailblazing Fair Play Associate Artistic Director Residency scheme. The game-changing initiative is the only leadership programme of its kind in the UK, created specifically to offer mid-career directors or theatre m...

11/11/2025

WE ARE RECRUITING

We're looking for an exceptional Executive Director who is committed to addressing the inequity experienced by working class and low socio-economic artists to ensure they can sustain careers and thrive in the theatre industry.

Part time - 21 hours (3 days) per week
£28,800 (£48,000 pro rata)
Remote / Manchester

For the full person specification, please go to www.rtyds.co.uk/jobs

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, Monday 15th December 2025

If you’re interested and would like an informal and confidential conversation about the role, please get in touch with our recruitment consultant, Mary Caws, on [email protected].