The Octagon Theatre

Our Talent & Career Development programme is designed to help people find their own way into the Creative Industries.

The Creative Industries is a fast-growing sector that has become essential to the UK economy. Job opportunities are far broader than performing alone, encompassing technical backstage roles, programming, production, marketing, operations, arts education, management, and finance.

We believe creative skills are vital to nurture a dynamic and innovative workforce across all areas of employment.

We offer a range of programmes that promote creative careers and pathways into the industry, with space for young people to develop their creative skills.

It is our promise to utilise the Octagon & Westlands regional platform to support talent development and inspire young people, making visible the career options within our venues (Front of House, Box Office, Technical Theatre, Marketing, Programming, Events and our Arts Engagement & Outreach work), and working with partner national touring companies to make opportunities more visible.

We offer a range of programmes designed to highlight different creative careers and help young people find their own pathway forward.

Octagon & Westlands Work Experience Programme

Our work experience programme aims to offer an overview of all aspects of the operation of both our venues (The Octagon and Westlands). You can expect to spend time with our Arts Engagement & Outreach, Programming, Box Office, Front of House, Marketing, Finance, Events and Technical teams. Over the week participants will take part in a series of challenges as set by each department, working together as a team, and at the end of the week will showcase what they have learned.

We hold two work experience weeks each year, with one programme open to Yr10 students (ages 14-15) and the second programme open to Yr12 & 13 students (ages 16 - 19).

Dates for 2025
Mon 7 - Fri 11 April for Year 12 & 13 students
Mon 21 - Fri 25 July for Year 10 students

Applications for the Octagon & Westlands Work Experience programme open in January. To register your interest in our future work experience programmes please complete the online expression of interest form, we will then be in touch once applications for our work experience programmes reopen. Alternatively keep an eye on our social media and website - we will make announcements here to notify when applications are open for our work experience programme.

For further information on our work experience programmes including how to apply: Discover More.

Inside Creative Careers

A careers event for Key Stage 3 groups, that promises to give a practical insight into different careers in the performing arts industry, in the context of busy arts venues such as The Octagon & Westlands.  Hands-on sessions learning about the range of roles required for taking work from page to stage including Technical (Lighting, Sound & Stage Management), Directing, Producing and Marketing, guided by our staff.

Career Talks

Career Talks are on offer for schools and colleges looking to inform their students of opportunities, roles and positions within the creative industries. These talks focus on highlighting career prospects in the theatre industry and informing students how to engage with our venues. We host talks in Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Colleges. If you lead a course or are a teacher who thinks your school or year group might benefit from a talk, please get in touch.

Vlogs

Our series of vlogs shine a light on the various creative careers within the industry. Our vlogs take you behind the scenes to discover what it’s like to work in theatre and at our venues, and what skills you might need for a job in the creative industry. From marketing to tech and from venue management to programming, our vlogs offer an opportunity to gain insight into the multitude of job roles and pathways from a variety of employers.

Watch our series of vlogs over on The Octagon and Westlands YouTube Channel now!

In Conversation with…

Our series of ‘In Conversation with’, are online discussions with industry leaders, creatives, programmers, fundraisers and practitioners from across the country who are all specialists in their field. These conversations will give you an overview of their work and career pathways with the opportunity to ask questions in an informal online setting.

Mentoring

If you are interested in developing your career and looking for opportunities to develop your understanding of the industry and expand your experience and CV, please get in touch. We are happy to have conversations to see how we can support you in your development and find opportunities for passionate and committed individuals to shadow our staff or sit in on rehearsals for national touring companies or volunteer on projects and events alongside us.

If you are looking for mentoring and career development support, please contact our Arts Engagement & Outreach Officer, Anthony Kosky anthony.kosky@somerset.gov.uk