Friday Pathways
This weeks new development opportunities for artists and theatre professionals on 26 September 2025
This week’s Friday New Pathways feels like a brilliant mix of new initiatives for the start of a new term… the September feeling is strong this week!
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced a new artist development programme titled Treehouse Project, aimed at supporting five early-career theatre creatives.
Applications are now open for the November 2025 Stage One West End workshop in London.
Goethe Institut have announced a new round of Mobility Grants for Artists, a scheme which connects artists and cultural professionals across Africa and Europe through meaningful exchanges that build careers and foster collaboration.
Queens Theatre Hornchurch and have announced an OPEN CASTING CALL for actor-musicians for an exciting new musical.
Royal & Derngate in Northampton have announced the launch of GenFest 2025
Gecko Theatre in Ipswich have announced the return of their internationally renowned residency programme, with three strands: PERFORM, MAKE and LEAD.
The Gate in London have announced a new event scratch night: Emergency: A Scratch Response to Scenes from the Climate Era.
Theatre503 have announced a flash sale on their Writer’s Programme sessions
More details and links to apply, submit and book below!
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced a new artist development programme titled Treehouse Project, aimed at supporting five early-career theatre creatives.
Running from November 2025 to February 2026, Treehouse Project will offer selected participants space to develop their work, hold meetings, and connect with peers through discussion groups and masterclasses.
The initiative is open to directors, playwrights, dramaturgs, designers, composers, and other theatre practitioners who have led between one and four professional productions and are seeking space and mentorship to grow their practice.
Deadline: 10am on Monday 13th October 2025
Applications are now open for the next Stage One West End workshop in London in November - three days with Stage One Chief Exec Joseph Smith, and other experienced industry professionals.
The workshop includes sessions which cover:
Fundraising & investor management
Budgeting a commercial production
General Management
Contracting a West End theatre
Marketing & PR
Co-producing, touring & transfers
The workshop also includes time for networking with other delegates, and seeing a West End show. Fee is £425.
Goethe Institut have announced a new round of Mobility Grants for Artists.
This mobility scheme connects artists and cultural professionals across Africa and Europe through meaningful exchanges that build careers and foster collaboration.
Who can apply: Applications welcomed from theatre makers, visual artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, dancers, photographers, and digital creators; both emerging and established practitioners.
What is supported: Research trips that inform new artistic work, collaborative projects with artists from other countries, residencies at cultural institutions, participation in festivals and cultural events, and professional development opportunities.
Financial support: Travel costs are covered (up to €400 within Africa, €1,800 from Europe), as are accommodation, daily allowances, and project expenses. Additional support is available for applicants with children, accessibility needs, or those choosing environmentally friendly travel options.
Deadline: 15 October 2025
Queens Theatre Hornchurch and have announced an OPEN CASTING CALL for actor-musicians for an exciting new musical set in the 1960s, a time of social upheaval and cultural revolution.
The East Anglian Touring Consortium is looking to meet multi-instrumentalist actor-musicians from or with a strong connection to Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, the London Borough of Havering, or Cambridgeshire. Auditions will be held at Queens Theatre Hornchurch, New Wolsey Theatre and Norwich Theatre on 15th and 16th October.
Those interested should email Sam Bates from the New Wolsey Theatre (sbates@woldeytheatre.co.uk).
Royal & Derngate in Northampton have announced the launch of GenFest 2025.
This is an annual festival supporting artist development, new work, work-in-progress and see exclusive first time performances. This year, performances take place over one week from Sun 16 – Sat 22 November, with a series of workshops and artist one-to-one’s taking place throughout the week.
Gecko Theatre in Ipswich have announced that their internationally renowned residency programme is returning, and it's bigger and better than ever.
The team have expanded the training on offer via three brand-new strands of residencies:
PERFORM - Performer Residency
MAKE - Theatre Maker Residency
LEAD - Practitioner Residency
Applications for the first two PERFORM Residencies are open now, with applications for MAKE and LEAD residencies opening in the new year:
PERFORM Residency 2025 Details:
Mid-Career Artists (25+): Monday 8th - Friday 12th December 2025
Emerging Artists (18-25): Monday 15th - Friday 19th December 2025
£500/ £400 Student/NEET (incl. VAT)
Bursary places available
Deadline: Tuesday 14th October 12pm
The Gate have announced a new event scratch night: Emergency: A Scratch Response to Scenes from the Climate Era.
As part of the Gateways Programme, the team are inviting 6-8 emerging writers from Global Majority backgrounds to create bold new short pieces that respond to the Climate Crisis.
The pieces will be directed by Scenes from the Climate Era Assistant Director Grace Waga Glevey and performed by a professional cast, before concluding with an open discussion between writers and audiences. Scratch performances to take place on Sun 19 October.
Deadline for submissions by Wed 1 October
Theatre503 have announced a flash sale on their Writer’s Programme sessions, from now until 23:59 tonight, you can get 50% OFF all October courses and masterclasses with the code: SPOOKY50 at checkout.
Here's the selection of courses & masterclasses you can claim this discount on:
Introduction to Playwriting
Master the art of Writing Short Plays, which includes a free ticket to upcoming show, Loop
Making Drama out of a Crisis: Playwriting, Climate and the More Than Human
Breaking into TV
Everything and the Kitchen Sink: Using Surrealism to Create Drama
Writing from Self
Going Solo: How to Start Writing a One Person Show