- Lyric Hammersmith

Applications are now open for 18 - 25 year olds based in West London* to be our 2023 - 2024 SPRINGBOARD trainees.

SPRINGBOARD is our free part-time training programme that aims to find, shape, inspire, champion and sustain the next generation of performers from underrepresented backgrounds. This ground-breaking two-year programme is a performance pathway into employment designed specifically to support young people who have zero to little formal drama training and are currently underrepresented in theatre.

Successful applicants will be enrolled in the free two-year programme, benefiting from a bursary that will support you while you take part in a wide range of development initiatives including performances, workshops, masterclasses, artist development and opportunities both on and off the stage.

You will receive hundreds of engagement opportunities over the two-year programme. You will learn from leading industry practitioners in masterclasses led by each Main House director in the Lyric’s 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Group auditions will take place on Friday 18 November, and if successful, the second round of auditions will take place on Friday 25 November.

Applications close at 10am on Friday 11 November.

You can find FAQs, the application form questions as an audio file, and the schedule for the two-year programme at the bottom of this page.

Eligible criteria:

Aged 18 – 25 at the time of application
Based in West London*
Have little to no drama formal training (please see our FAQs for more information)
Able to commit to attending and completing the entire two-year training programme.

*You must live in one of the 10 West London boroughs (Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth and Westminster).

Thank you for applying to be a part of SPRINGBOARD!

Please complete the application form below.

Full name

Pronouns

Date of birth

Residential address

Postcode

Telephone number

Emergency contact number

Email address

Which West London borough do you live in?

Are you able to attend a group audition on Friday 18 November (TBC time between 10am and 5pm)?

If successful, are you able to attend a second round of auditions on Friday 25 November (TBC time between 10am and 1pm)?

Do you have any additional access and support requirements you would like to make us aware of? If so, what are they? We will always accommodate these to the best of our abilities.

Why are you applying for this opportunity? (200 words max)

What is your previous performance and theatre experience? It is fine to leave this blank if this will be your first theatre experience. (200 words max)

If successful, are you able to commit to and complete the two year part-time training course?

How will SPRINGBOARD be beneficial for your career and professional development? (200 words max)

Please tell us of any educational qualifications including secondary, further education and higher education if applicable. Please include these even if you were unable to complete them. Please also include the name of any educational establishments (school, college, university) attended.

Do you have professional representation i.e. an agent?

Do you have a Spotlight profile?

Have you trained at an accredited drama school?

OPTIONAL: If you would like to provide us with up to two links to your performance work to support your application, you can do so here. This could be a link to a website, social media, Vimeo, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Videos should be no longer than two minutes each.

I confirm that the above information is correct to the best of my knowledge and that I am authorised to submit it.

By registering your interest, you agree for us to contact you in the future about this programme, and provide more information about how you can get involved with our work.

We will only use your data for the purposes above, and it will be deleted once confirmation offers are sent out.

You can find out more information about how the Lyric respects your data in our privacy policy.

All questions are mandatory unless marked otherwise. If you feel anxious or unsure about any of these questions, or your eligibility for this programme, please download the FAQs at the bottom of this page or get in touch with Alessandra at participation@lyric.co.uk.