We hope you are well!

We have officially launched our Founding Friends Olive Scheme to help grow and expand our community, and help reach our ambitious plans. Check out more info HERE. We thank you in advance!

Sharing Conversations and Opportunities 

• Stage One's Bridge the Gap Producer Programme is now open. They are recruiting 10 places for yearlong training into commercial producing. This is specifically aimed at producers from under-represented backgrounds, and aims to support emerging producers. Deadline 10th May. More info: https://stageone.uk.com/bridge-the-gap/the-producer-programme

• One of our members, actor and writer Shamia Chalabi, is running a Writing Workshop on how to turn your life experiences into a story for the stage. Date: 30th June. Info: https://octagonbolton.co.uk/whats-on/take-part/writing-your-life-online-workshop/

• Transform Leeds are looking for a Producer and Assistant Producer. The Producer will focus on co-creation and artist development, and the Assistant Producer will support the festival and year-round programme.

Deadline: 6th May. Details: https://transformfestival.org/opportunities/

• Soho Theatre are looking for an Audience and Comms member to join their team. Deadline: 30th April. More info and to apply: https://sohotheatre.com/about/jobs/

• Paines Plough and Northern Stage have just launched their open auditions, specifically for actors in Newcastle and surrounding areas. Deadline: 3rd May. Details: https://painesplough.com/get-involved/open-auditions/

• Immediate Theatre are looking for a Director and Playwright for their Summer holiday project which will be developed for a youth theatre cast. Deadline: 3rd May. To apply: https://www.immediate-theatre.com/about/job-opportunities

• A Casting Call from Sarah Hughes Casting, looking for three Actors of Afghan or mixed Afghan Heritage for an adaptation of ‘The Boy With Two Hearts.’ If interested or for more info, email sarahhughescasting@gmail.com with a photo and CV.

• Sheffield Theatres are recruiting for a Community Producer to join the Production team, working 32 hours per week over a 10 month fixed term contract. Deadline: 4th May. Details:

https://www.artsjobs.org.uk/arts-job/post/community-producer-fixed-term-contract-1/

• The Space Theatre is offering paid opportunities for performers to create a short performance piece in response to the question, ‘Who Can I Be?’. Successful applicants will receive a fee of £200 to create their short performance piece. Send your pitch to adam@space.org.uk. Deadline: Tuesday 27th April.

For more information: https://space.org.uk/perform/

• -Rihla Films are looking for female identifying creatives from the MENA+ region to take part in a documentary with their mother (who is also from the MENA region). For interest or more info, email: filmsrihla@gmail.com

• The King’s Head Theatre are looking for a new Artistic Director and joint CEO to lead the charity’s dynamic team, alongside the Executive Director. Deadline: 21st May. Details: https://www.artsjobs.org.uk/arts-job/post/artistic-director-b1d61f4167/

• A callout from Battersea Arts Centre for a Programmer:

“We are looking for a highly experienced and dynamic individual, well practised in programming live work and supporting artists to tour that work, to help lead our producing team into our next exciting chapter. The ideal candidate will also bring an in depth knowledge of performance across multiple art forms, and a passion for creative innovation through digital media. Working directly with Artistic Director Tarek Iskander, to lead BAC’s ground-breaking, Pay What You Can seasons of work at the world’s first Relaxed Venue, the Head of Programming will also share in our wider organisational mission to spark positive social change through creativity.”

Deadline: 17th May. More info: https://bac.org.uk/our-story/work-with-us/

And that’s everything! For the new members, mailout is sent on a fortnightly basis. Please keep sharing and sending me any of your wonderful work or opportunities you want included in the next mailout to this email. Now more than ever lets keep circulating our brilliant stories; whether its past work, articles, videos, or something you think the membership may find interesting, please do drop me an email! Please continue to sign up to our directory, and share our community with your friends in the industry!

Have a great week,

Jessie x

MENA ARTS UK 

Our position on endorsement.

Our main areas of work is to help connect the creative industries with UK MENA+ talent, so we will always share castings, job opportunities, or marketing information. We will track these projects in the hope that they are a great example of how MENA+ talent is used. But by sharing this information, it should not be seen as an endorsement of the project.

We will call out work that is appropriating a MENA+ narrative and does not have MENA+ talent at the heart of the creative process; and we will always champion, front and centre, work that is made for and by MENA+ talent.

MENA ARTS UK