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Backstage Interviews

This year the National Youth Theatre will be running backstage courses at our home in North London.

These five-day courses, in either Costume Design or Stage Management, are for young people aged 16+* who already have some experience or interest in backstage but would like to learn more about one of these specialisms.

To take part in one of these courses, you must first attend an interview, after which you will be told if you are successful in gaining a place. You will be emailed the outcome of your interview on Wednesday 9th July. You can read more about the interview process and sign-up below.

Once you have completed the course, you will be a fully-fledged NYT Backstage Member and have access to exclusive member opportunities, workshops, events, training, jobs and more!

*further eligibility information in the FAQs below

Stage Management

This five-day course covers the fundamentals of the roles and duties carried out by a stage management team. You will explore a range of tasks that stage managers are responsible for whilst supporting a theatre production or live event, including communicating with each other and the wider team, prop-making, blocking, script work, information sharing, creative problem-solving and lots more!

Dates: Tuesday 26th- Saturday 30th August.
Location: NYT, 443- 445 London, N7 6LW
Time: 10am - 5pm
Price: £150*
*Bursary places are available

For more details on the course and for the task, please click here for the Stage Management Guide

Costume Design

This five-day Costume course allows you to explore both costume-making and costume design in the theatre industry. You’ll be introduced to key skills with a range of practical exercises covering machinery commonly found in a wardrobe department, hand-sewing, garment-making, and more. You will learn from a range of industry professionals as well as a trip to visit a professional costume working environment.

Date:Tuesday 26th- Saturday 30th August.
Location: NYT, 443- 445 London, N7 6LW
Times: 10am- 5pm
Price: £150*
*Bursary places are available

For more details on the course and for the task, please click here for the Costume Design Guide

How do I apply?

You can choose to sign up for an interview either online via Zoom or in-person at National Youth Theatre. The two routes run slightly differently, but all applicants will be considered equally, regardless of their chosen route.

In-person Interviews:

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th July
⚲ NYT 443- 445 Holloway Road, London, N7 6LW

In-person interviews start at 10am at our building in London. You will take part in a 3-hour workshop in the morning, which will consist of meeting other potential members, games, creative tasks and interview preparation. After lunch, you will be given a 15-minute interview slot, in which you will let us know about more about yourself, and present your response to the interview task. More information on the interview task can be found in the Backstage Interview Guide.

SIGN UP HERE

Online Interviews

Saturday 5th July
⚲ Online, via Zoom

For our online interviews, you will only do a 1:1 interview - no workshop! The interview will last 20-25 minutes. Much like the in-person interview you will have an informal chat about yourself and your experience, and be asked to present your response to the interview task. More information on the interview task can be found in the Backstage Interview Guide.

SIGN UP HERE

Please download the Backstage Interview Guide below for details on the interview task.

If you cannot attend either of these dates but still want to interview, please register your interest on this form, and we will get in touch if we make other dates available.

Backstage Guides

For details on the courses and their task please download the backstage guide/

Costume Design Guide

Stage Management Guide

'Looking back to when I was a technical member of NYT it was one of the best experiences of my life. The training was outstanding and it gave me opportunities I never could have imagined at the time. Some of my closest friendships started there too. I genuinely couldn’t recommend it more. Best experience and organisation ever.'

Alistair Wilson, NYT alum and Managing Director at Imgaination

FAQs

Am I eligible to apply for a Backstage Course?

All applicants to a Backstage Course should be:

  • UK residents
  • Age 16 by 26th August 2025
  • Aged 25 or under on 30th August 2025*

*If you have experienced physical, systemic or attitudinal barriers to accessing the arts, you can extend your membership to take part in NYT opportunities including auditions, courses, productions and other membership opportunities, up to the age of 30. Examples of people who may have faced barriers to accessing the arts include disabled people, care leavers, young carers, asylum seekers/refugees, people with experience of homelessness, people with experience of the criminal justice system. If you believe you are eligible for an extended membership please complete this form before continuing the sign-up process.

If you are successful in your application, identification to verify your age may be required before the course start date. If you are unsure about your eligibility to apply, please email info@nyt.org.uk.

How do I apply?

All applicants to a Backstage Course must attend an interview either online via Zoom or in-person at the National Youth Theatre.

All applicants will be considered equally, regardless of their application method and neither option is more likely to gain you a place; it is simply a choice of which method suits you best.

What happens at a Backstage Interview?

An interview runs for around 20 minutes and consists of:

  1. Presenting your response to an interview task

    Prior to the interview, you will be asked to prepare a response to a task relating to your specific discipline (Stage Management or Costume Design). You can bring a presentation, portfolio, mood-board or simply chat through your ideas! Whatever works best to share your vision. Specific information on the interview task will be added to this page on the 2nd June.

  2. A short chat with your interviewer about your experience

    This portion is intended to be informal and relaxed, you do not need to have anything prepared. The interviewer is keen to get to know you as a person, so during the chat you can tell them about your hobbies and interests outside of theatre as well as any theatre experience you may have. They will also want to know why you want to take part in this course, and become an NYT Backstage Member.

  3. A chance to ask any questions you might have about the course


A Backstage Interview Guide will be available on this page on the 2nd June.

Are there bursaries available?

We offer bursaries to help those facing financial hardship take part in our interviews, courses, and productions. Bursaries may include a partial or full coverage of course fees, travel, accommodation where relevant, and subsistence.

Please be aware that NYT receives a very large number of applications, and demand for our bursary always outstrips the supply we have. Our Development Team work very hard each year to increase the available funds for bursaries, but we are not able to support everyone who applies to the bursary fund and give priority those most in need.

If you are successful in your interview, you will receive more information on how to apply for a bursary.

"One of my students did lighting with NYT. He’s now a professional lighting designer. Great courses"

Kerry Bambridge, Teacher