ARTIST DEVELOPMENT
STAGE DOOR
Stage Door is an opportunity created by Good Chance for young people from refugee backgrounds to gain paid, part-time, flexible work experience in an arts organisation, nurturing the next generation of theatre professionals from across the world.
ANNOUNCING STAGE DOOR 10!
We’re delighted to announce an exciting extension of our Stage Door programme, STAGE DOOR 10, in which we’ll partner with 10 leading arts organisations throughout the UK to roll out 10 bespoke placements in the theatre and film sectors. In doing so, we’ll create 10 brand new, transformative traineeship opportunities for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds to nurture the next generation of creative theatre professionals across the country.
If you’re a theatre, arts organisation or film company and want to explore partnering with us to host a placement, we’d love to hear from you! Please email Good Chance’s General Manager Cindy on cindy@goodchance.org.uk to find out more.
What is Stage Door?
Stage Door is an opportunity created by Good Chance for young people from refugee backgrounds to gain paid work experience.
You will be welcomed into our office for 3-6 months to learn new skills, get involved in artistic projects, meet new people and improve your English. Placements will be based at the Good Chance offices in Shoreditch, East London, or with partner organisations in other theatres or even on film sets!
Eligibility for the Stage Door programme isn’t based on having specific experience in theatre, the creative industry or with a charity. Instead, you’ll need to prove a commitment to learning, being a team player and ready to get involved with different tasks and activities.
Read our feature in The Stage, which covers our partnership with the Mo Siewcharran Fund and Creative Access.
“Good Chance is more than a community, for me. Through Stage Door I have found a brilliant family where everyone is excited to learn and share. This is my first job experience in the UK after leaving my country and everything behind. I have learnt so much about teamwork and communication, networking and creating hope through art.”
- Amir, Stage Door Production and Marketing Assistant
Other Opportunities BackStage Door & Behind the Scenes
We also partner with brilliant organisations to offer other opportunities through the Stage Door programme. This includes a BackStage Door placement with Nimax Theatres on London’s West End, working directly with the backstage crew at the Apollo Theatre for four months, helping with everything from props, scenery, lighting and wardrobe before, during and after a show. Also our Trainee Director and Costume Trainee placements on our critically acclaimed production Kyoto with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
As well as our Behind the Scenes placements with Oscar Award-winning Slick Films on Largo, a new short film, working across Camera, Production Design and Film Team Assistance and during the filming and editing processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Gain essential skills in administration, marketing and theatre events production
Work alongside experienced staff
Earn the London Living Wage for those with refugee status or be paid expenses to volunteer for those currently without the right to work
Meet new people and gain experience of working in an office
Encouraged to create and lead on a project, with the support of Good Chance staff
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You will work approximately 2-3 days per week for 3-6 months.
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The Good Chance office is based in Shoreditch in London but our projects happen all over the country. If you are based in the Greater London area it would be easy for you to be able to work in the Good Chance office, but if you are based outside London we would still encourage you to apply as we would try to make it possible for you to come to the office regularly as well as doing some work from home.
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The paid work experience is particularly aimed at young people from refugee backgrounds aged 17 - 24.
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If you do not have the right to work, we still encourage you to apply, and we can discuss how the placement could work for you as a volunteer role.
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Eligibility for the Stage Door programme isn’t based on having specific experience in theatre, the creative industry or with a charity. Instead, you’ll need to prove a commitment to learning, being a team player and ready to get involved with different tasks and activities.
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Good Chance pays the local living wage to those with the right to work. At the end of each month, Stage Door participants will need to invoice the company, which we can help you do. You can read more about the living wage here.
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We ask that all applications to the Stage Door programme are available to work part time at a minimum of two and maximum of three full working days per week. We will operate a flexible working schedule, so the days you work are dependent on your schedule and when you are free.
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We require you to be at a level where you can express what you mean clearly in written and verbal English and to be able to conduct searches on engines like Google as well as a basic knowledge of software like Microsoft Excel and Word.
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We will review the information you kindly sent us and will get back to you within a week after the application deadline. If your application is successful, the next step will be to invite you to a Zoom call interview with two of our team members.
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Of course! If we say no the first time, it might be because we’ve had a lot of applicants, but we’d love to keep your details on our system and contact you again before the next placement.
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Please get in touch! Email hannah@goodchance.org.uk to show your interest and we’ll reach out as soon as applications open again.
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If you work with young people from refugee backgrounds that you think would be interested in applying, please do share the Stage Door Information poster with them. If they would like to know more about the programme and how to apply please ask them to get in touch with Hannah at hannah@goodchance.org.uk.
STAGE DOOR STORIES
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Amir Ibrahimi
Amir was evacuated from Kabul in August 2021 after being attacked by the Taliban for taking photos. Now he’s pursuing his love of art, film and photography in the UK.
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Rasha Obaid
Art is out of the question in Yemen, but here Rasha can do what she loves. Meet our first participant of the BackStage Door Programme.
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Mardin Mahmoudpour
From growing up in Iran with a passion for theatre to rediscovering his voice and purpose in the UK through Stage Door, meet Mardin!
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Sule Karakus
Our most recent Stage Door placementee Sule tells us about her experience starting life again in the UK and finding a new community and home with Good Chance!