Spotlight On: Discover! Creative Careers week at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Mon 27 Nov, 2023

Shakespeare North Playhouse played host to over 60 enthusiastic young people from local schools with resounding success for Discover! Creative Careers Week

The event saw students engage in immersive workshops with hip-hop artists, embark on a behind the scenes tour of the theatre, and meet with passionate employees who shared insights into their diverse roles within the creative industries. 

Discover! Creative Careers Week, a national program supported by a £1 million investment from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England, aims to bridge the gap between young individuals aged 11-18 and the dynamic world of creative careers. The initiative, launched in 2018 with £2 million seed funding, has already impacted over 120,000 young people, fostering long-term engagement between industry professionals, educators, and career advisors. 

The program aligns with the government’s commitment to cultivating a highly skilled, productive, and inclusive workforce for the future. The ambitious goal is to bolster the growth of the creative industries by £50 billion and create a million more jobs across the UK by 2030, as outlined in the Creative Industries Sector Vision launched earlier this year. 

As part of the Discover! Creative Careers Week, the young participants at Shakespeare North Playhouse were treated to a variety of interactive activities, including building tours, talks, workshops, and discussions. In addition to the in-person events, a virtual program delivered by Speakers for Schools further enriched the students’ understanding of different sectors, job roles, and potential career pathways within the creative industries. 

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay attended the event, witnessing firsthand the impact of this publicly funded program on the young participants. The minister engaged with students and industry professionals, gaining valuable insights into the effectiveness of Discover! Creative Careers Week in dispelling misconceptions and inspiring the next generation of creative minds. 

Evonne Bixter, Head of Engagement at Shakespeare North Playhouse, expressed excitement about the Playhouse’s involvement in Discover! Creative Careers Week; 

“From our Tech team to our Producers, Media and Communications and Front of House, the opportunities are vast, and this is just a snapshot of this amazing sector. We want to help to nurture the talented young people who will become the Creative Industries workforce in the future, and events like these are the perfect platform to raise awareness of the wealth of opportunities open to our young people.” 

As Discover! Creative Careers Week continues to unfold across the nation, events like those at Shakespeare North Playhouse serve as beacons of inspiration, fostering a new generation of creative minds eager to contribute to the ever-evolving landscape of the UK’s creative industries.