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SPRINGBOARD

Springboard is our flagship training programme for theatre's future artists.

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 groundbreaking two-year programme is a major new performance pathway into employment designed specifically to support young people aged 18-25yrs who live in West London, have zero to little formal drama training and are currently underrepresented in theatre.

Each year, 10 new trainees are enrolled in the two-year programme, benefitting from a bursary that will support them while they take part in a wide range of development initiatives including performances, workshops, masterclasses, artist development and opportunities both on and off the stage.

Trainees receive hundreds of engagement opportunities over the two-year programme. They learn from leading industry practitioners in masterclasses led by each Main House director in the Lyric’s 2022 and 2023 seasons, including: Michael Buffong, Atri Banerjee, Clare Lizzimore and Ola Ince for 2022; Lyric Artistic Associates Nina Steiger, Tinuke Craig, Tanika Gupta, Philip McMahon and Good Teeth; and the Lyric’s Associate Director Nicholai La Barrie and Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan.

Second year trainees: Rima Georges, Stacey Ann Henry, Kabira Imona, Isaiah James-Mitchell, Kim Mac, Bella Macdonald, Louisa McClintock, Bethany Monk-Lane, Joshua Ogbue, and Behkam Salehani.

First year trainees: Aneeza Ahmed, Lumumba Diessa, Cameron Goodchild, Jade Khan, Samuel Maldwyn Glyde Rees, Áine McNamara, Zamir Mesiti, Ema Pasic, Jessica Rose Saunders, and Michelle San Reis.

SPRINGBOARD is kindly supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The Emmanuel Kaye Foundation who have helped to launch the programme through funding over the next three years for 30 trainees.

Photos by Helen Murray.

WATCH our SPRINGBOARD trainees in Evolution: Films

In a collaboration between the Lyric and the Roundhouse, Evolution: Films presents five short films. The films were filmed and edited by young people from Roundhouse’s Behind The Lens programme and are performed by the Lyric’s SPRINGBOARD trainees. Each film is a classic duologue reimagined in a contemporary setting. The 2022 films were directed by Abs Sol with cinematography facilitation by Bani Mendy, and the 2023 films were directed by Naomi Waring with cinematography facilitation by Bani Mendy.

LISTEN to our SPRINGBOARD trainees in Evolution: Audio

Showcasing extracts from the restoration comedy The Belle’s Stratagem by Hannah Cowley, adapted by Luke Barnes, directed by Tash Hyman, and with composition and sound design by Joseff Harris, performers from SPRINGBOARD programme recorded a series of short audio duologues. The audio duologues were presented as a sound installation at the Lyric during Evolution Festival 2023.