Solihull College & University Centre and Stratford-upon-Avon College are delighted to announce their partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to offer apprenticeship opportunities to young people in the region.
The College is currently supporting five apprentices on an Operations Apprenticeship. However, this is just the start, with more apprenticeship opportunities to follow in other roles.
Nicky Haines, Head of Creative Arts at the College, details the College’s excitement for the partnership: “The RSC is a wonderful organisation bursting with passionate, talented people who are dedicated in supporting the Arts and Arts Education. The Theatre has always been at the heart of the community and we as a college are extremely proud and excited to be partnered with RSC. We are thrilled to be able to work collaboratively with the organisation on the apprenticeship programmes which will offer amazing opportunities to people who are wanting to develop a career within the Arts.”
Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Learning and National Partnerships at the RSC, said: “The RSC is acutely aware of the need for the theatre industry to diversify both on and off its stages. We know that lack of talent and potential is not the issue but lack of opportunity is. This evidence comes through our work with 12 theatre partners and over 250 Associate Schools in some of the country’s most structurally disadvantaged areas.”
Jacqui continues: “We are fully committed to our role as a Teaching Theatre – an organisation that invests in, supports and trains current and future generations of theatre artists and professionals to build a stronger, fairer and more diverse arts sector. That means offering clear pathways through training, learning and research, for young people to have quality arts experiences and consider the possibility of a career in the sector for themselves.”
Pritti Shoker, Apprenticeships and Training Manager for the RSC added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with regional training provider Solihull College & University Centre and Stratford-upon-Avon College to help deliver our expanding apprenticeships programme. Currently, the RSC is home to five Operations apprenticeship posts delivered through Solihull College & University Centre and Stratford-upon-Avon College, with further apprenticeships to be announced in the coming months. Through partnerships such as these, we hope to build a happier, more creative, more representative and more productive workforce both behind the scenes and in the work we put on our stages. The change isn’t going to happen overnight but partnerships like these are an important first step in starting to turn the tide, unlocking untapped potential and creating the right conditions for individuals to develop and thrive.”
