Extant: Pathways Theatre Crew and Design Programme - Recruiting for Blind and Partially Sighted People

As a blind or partially sighted person have you ever thought about a career working behind the scenes backstage in theatre as an Assistant Stage Manager, Costume Designer, Lighting Technician, Sound Technician or a Set Designer?

Well Extant, the theatre company for visually impaired actors and creatives, are recruiting for the next round in their very successful Pathways programme, this time focusing on opportunities for blind and partially sighted people as backstage crew or theatre designers.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Caroline Jeyaratnam-Joyner, the Pathways Programme Manager at Extant, to find out a bit more about the Pathways Crew and Design programme. 

Caroline began by giving Toby a bit of background to the very successful Pathways Programme, how the programme works, what they are looking for from blind and partially sighted applicants and how the programme will be tailored to the individual applicant. 

Caroline outlined some of the roles that happen backstage in a theatre that are open to blind and partially sighted people and how participants on the acting stream of the programme have gone on to working at the National Theatre in London along with other theatre work opportunities that may be available at Extant and other theatre companies around the country.

Caroline ended by stating that Pathways Crew and Design is a UK wide programme and open to anyone wanting to start a career in the theatre no matter where they might be located in the UK. 

The deadline for applications to Pathways Crew and design is Monday 28 March 2022 and more details can be found by visiting the following pages of the Extant website -

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