Building pathways for the next generation of creative talent

Fri 22 Aug 2025

News and stories

📷 Greg Macvean

“It’s hard. When people ask what I’m going to do after school, I can’t always give them a straight answer. I know I want to work in theatre, but I don’t know what exactly that means yet – or how I’m going to get there.”

It’s a sentiment we hear time and again from young people. The passion is there – vibrant, determined, full of potential – but the route ahead? Not always so clear. While the pull toward creativity is strong, for many young people, the reality of forging a career in the arts can feel shrouded in a mist of uncertainty.

At Capital Theatres, we’ve made it our mission to change that.

Through extensive research and collaboration with schools and colleges we explored how young people perceive careers in the arts – particularly during those critical years when subject choices and future plans begin to take shape.

What we discovered confirmed what many educators, artists and media have been reporting : a significant drop-off in Expressive Arts uptake beyond early secondary school. Not due to lack of interest or ability, but often due to a limited understanding of where these subjects could lead and an understandable nervousness about the uncertainty of entering an industry where just getting your foot in the door comes with a lack of clarity.

A group of young people sat in an auditorium watching and listening intently. — 📷 Greg Macvean

Pupils who chose to continue with drama often cited joy, creativity, confidence-building, and teamwork as core motivators. Those who opted out expressed concerns about performance anxiety, lack of alignment with their future ambitions, or uncertainty about job prospects in a seemingly unstable industry.

This disconnect revealed something vital: for many young people, the phrase “career in theatre” still only conjures up the image of an actor on stage. But theatre is a world filled with different roles – from technical production and design to arts marketing, producing, stage management, creative learning, and beyond.

Here at Capital Theatres, we run Creative Pathways which is our programme of activities for young people, designed to showcase various careers in the theatre industry. We offer different ways to discover the world of theatre through programmes like our ‘Theatre Insights’ taster days and holiday clubs. We also offer one-off events like our ‘How Theatre Works’, ‘Coffee With Creatives’, and ‘Find Your Light’ workshops.

Our Creative Pathways activities continue to be overwhelmingly successful. Feedback from young people who haven taken part has been unanimously positive. Every respondent felt more creatively inspired, more likely to consider a career in the arts, and strongly agreed that their voice was heard throughout. Participants described how our courses expanded their understanding of creative careers, influenced school subject choices, and even shaped their future study plans.