Almeida Makers

Almeida Makers is a new artist development programme supporting eight exceptional early and mid-career directors and designers each year.

The Almeida exists to launch the next generation of British artists onto the world stage. Across the last 10 years, we’ve maintained our commitment to nurturing artists at the early stages of their careers through initiatives such as our Resident Directors Scheme, Genesis Almeida New Playwrights, Big Plays Programme, and direct pathways into the industry through our Young Artist programme. These opportunities have been fundamental to the development of some of the UK’s most exciting theatre makers, from the Almeida’s Associate Director Rebecca Frecknall (A Streetcar Named Desire) to Atri Banerjee (Look Back in Anger) and Ava Pickett (1536) winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2024.

Now we launch a new programme supporting exceptional early and mid-career directors and designers, Almeida Makers.

Through Almeida Makers, we will offer paid training placements alongside acclaimed artists on every Almeida production, with additional events and paid progression opportunities. Our goal is to identify and build sustained relationships with ambitious artists in the early stages of their careers, who will go on to lead their own work at the Almeida and beyond. Crucially, the programme aims to diversify the pool of artists working both at the Almeida and across the wider theatre sector.

Annual opportunities through Almeida Makers will include:

• Employing six Assistant Directors and two Assistant Designers to work alongside and learn from world class artists across the rehearsal and production process
• Providing paid career pathways such as the opportunity to make work on the Almeida stage as the lead director or designer on an Almeida Young Company production
• Creating community and ongoing engagement with the Almeida through invitations to see our productions for free, attend masterclasses and peer networking events

Recruitment for Almeida Makers is led by the Almeida’s Artistic Team with Actions for Change, our equality, diversity and inclusion policy, at the core of the process.

Almeida Makers is generously supported by Jerwood Foundation