UK - Guildhall School of Music & Drama has announced Backstage Roadshow, a series of free backstage arts skills workshops that will be given directly to UK state schools from September.
The initiative will introduce children and young people to the variety of creative pathways that exist within theatre, live events, television and film. Led by industry professionals and designed by Guildhall School’s Production Arts tutors, the Backstage Roadshow will provide participants with a crucial insight into one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors, inspiring young people to train and work in the creative industries.
The roadshow also seeks to demystify production arts language and career paths for teachers within schools and support them in helping find the right paths for young people. Jon Hare, outreach manager (production arts) at Guildhall School, says: “Our sector faces a crippling production skills shortage that has been exacerbated by declining arts provision in UK state schools, diminishing vital talent pipelines into the backstage workforce.
“It is imperative that we give all young people the opportunity to discover the joy of backstage arts and unlock their own creativity, no matter their background or locality, and the Backstage Roadshow has been devised precisely to respond to this need.”
The Backstage Roadshow has been made possible thanks to the generous support by The Garek Trust, The Guildhall School Trust, and Hugh Vanstone and George Stiles.
Hugh Vanstone HonFGS, award-winning lighting designer and George Stiles, internationally renowned composer and producer who jointly support the project, say: “We’re excited to support this bold initiative to expand and diversify recruitment into the production arts industries through Guildhall’s Backstage Roadshow. Guildhall has long been a dynamic institution with a significant impact on the performing arts industries that its students aspire to join. We are proud to help strengthen the talent pipeline for an industry we love and with a School we respect and trust.”
A pilot of the Backstage Roadshow ran in July 2024, with feedback from student participants demonstrating a high level of success in engaging them in production arts disciplines and career pathways. In an evaluation of 50 students, 92% described their experience as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’, with 79% agreeing they felt a sense of achievement taking part, and 67% agreeing their confidence in communicating and working as part of team had increased.
Following the pilot, one teacher commented: “It was such a different experience to anything our pupils have done before at school and opened their eyes to a completely different industry that they might seek to work in in the future. It allowed them to be creative and I was blown away by the costumes they created.”
From September, the Backstage Roadshow will offer workshops in costume, lighting, prop making, scenic art, sound design, stage management and video mapping, designed for up to eight students per session. UK state secondary schools, multi-academy trusts and colleges are eligible to apply for the workshops, which are suitable for students in years 8-11.
The Backstage Roadshow team will also be offering full technical support to two primary school productions each year, bringing lighting, sound and stage management equipment, along with support from staff and industry professionals. Applications for the 24/25 academic year opened on 16 September 2024.
