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Performing Arts
Yorkshire is home to a host of well-known performing arts companies like the Hull Truck Theatre, Northern Broadsides, Phoenix Dance Company and Opera North.
There are five professional theatres in Leeds, the largest being Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, which is home to Opera North, the largest touring opera company outside London. The theatre has close links with the Northern Ballet Theatre; one of the UK's most successful touring dance companies.
Sheffield's theatres, the world-famous Crucible along with the Studio and Lyceum Theatres, form the largest regional theatre complex outside London and provide a wide variety of entertainment. The development of Sheffield's cultural industries has been an important factor in its regeneration and the Cultural Industries Quarter is home to many companies working in the performing and the visual arts.
York is home to one of the few private theatres in the UK, the Joseph Rowntree Theatre. Founded by the chocolate and sweet making Rowntree family the theatre is mostly used by amateur companies. York is also the home of the York Mystery Plays, the great body of liturgical drama from the Middle Ages. The plays use the language of medieval Yorkshire to present the 'history of the world' from God's creation to the Last Judgement. Also, the National Centre for Early Music in York is a centre of excellence for music making of all types and is an established conference and recording venue.
There are also various projects in the performing arts operating in both education and the community in the region funded by Grants for the Arts Awards from the Arts Council.
Job opportunities in this area are various, from handling the technical issues of putting on productions, to teaching performing arts at a community level or taking part in theatrical productions.
If it's the technical elements you're interested in, then a relevant degree is going to be a likely pre-requisite as well as some evidence of applications of skills such as helping with the production of University performances or volunteering with a community drama group.
If it's the practical parts of production, from drama coaching to direction, your interested in then teaching drama in the community or with youth groups could be an option. A history on a stage, however small, as well as practical knowledge of performance, will be essential as well as a confident and sociable personality.
A report by Creative Yorkshire identified the fact that few people coming out of University or related training programs had both the specialist skills needed to put on community productions as well experience working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds. This means if you want to get into the industry a good chunk of work experience with community groups and people from all walks of life would defiantly set you apart from the crowd.
West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds also offers work-based training schemes to train employees in a variety of artistic and technical roles across all areas of production.
Useful links:
Arts Council England, Yorkshire
Arts Council England is the national development agency for the arts in England, distributing public money from Government and the National Lottery. Visual arts introduction, featured projects, information sheets, useful links, press and news items. Their Yorkshire pages give useful information sheets on funding, touring and media contacts for the region and also include a list of their current dance projects in the region.
A membership organisation for the North East and Yorkshire. The organisation runs workshops, residential weekends and has a library of early music.
York's largest theatre.
Rural Arts North Yorkshire is a charity providing a creative outreach arts programme that includes visual and performing arts, applied arts and media skills. Rural Arts works in village and church halls, schools, day centres and youth clubs in remote rural areas and market towns across North Yorkshire.
The Shed is a music and poetry venue in rural North Yorkshire that specialises in promoting and producing innovative and diverse events. The Shed is supported by Arts Council England, Yorkshire and Ryedale District Council.
Sheffield Theatres is the leading theatre complex in Sheffield, serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands. The theatre generates high quality work for national touring and provides a wide variety of live entertainment. It also has an education programme and audience development activity.
Danceworks is the promoter and audience development agency for dance in South Yorkshire.
Hull Truck Theatre is a key regional producing theatre, specialising in new writing with a strong national touring base. Its work is underpinned by an education and outreach programme.
A leading producing and presenting theatre complex in Leeds, with a well-established national reputation. It runs a mixed programme that includes contemporary touring companies. The company supports the development of new writers and has a programme of education and outreach activities.
Bradford Theatres comprises three main venues in Bradford: The Alhambra Theatre, St. Georges Concert Hall and the Alhambra Theatre Studio. Additionally, there are also venues in surrounding areas of Bradford including: Bingley Arts Centre, Kings Hall and Ian Clough Hall.
South Asian Arts UK is an important South Asian music and dance organisation based in Leeds. The organisation specialises in creating participatory music training opportunities for young people, supporting artists to pursue successful careers in South Asian arts, developing cutting edge performance work and enabling other organisations to include South Asian arts and artists in their work through advice, guidance and advocacy.