From Wednesday 16 July to Friday 18 July 2025 the New Vic and New Earth Theatre hosted Kiln Sparks – a three-day paid development programme in backstage theatre making.
Eight early career professionals participated in the programme which aimed to enhance their theoretical and practical experience of the industry and theatre making in-the-round, whilst helping to diversify the pool of Global Majority backstage talent and expand the industry’s knowledge base
Led by New Vic Associate Director Vicki Dela Amedume, the group explored the operation of sound desks, lighting, rigging and programming whilst examining specific considerations relating to theatre making in-the-round.
As part of the training programme, participants were supported by the New Vic Technical and Stage Management teams through various masterclasses and workshops – including the opportunity to shadow New Vic professionals in real time as they worked on the New Vic’s production of Tom Wells’ Big Big Sky from the control box.
Alongside opportunities to network, the residency also featured visits from New Earth Theatre Executive Director Lian Wilkinson.
Reflecting on the programme, participants expressed what they gained from the experience of taking part.
One of the participants, Zidi, said it helped them to “Understand the intricate details of specific roles and how they influence day to day operations.” Carla said the Kiln Sparks sessions allowed her to: “Consider different aspects of operating a theatre such as building scale, season management, paperwork and costs” whilst Linnae enjoyed how the programme helped to: “Contextualise the knowledge through demonstration which developed our understanding of which expertise would be required in the future”
New Earth Theatre Executive Director Lian Wilkinson said: “Returning to the New Vic as third-time partners on Kiln Sparks is a true joy and privilege. Seeing this year’s cohort engage with what the programme has to offer, with the expertise of the New Vic’s in-the-round industry specialists, makes us proud to be collaborating on it. The initiative has been a gamechanger for previous participants and has helped inform and create relevant opportunities for early career professionals.”
New Vic Associate Director Vicki Amedume said: “Kiln Sparks is about creating industry relevant and accessible pathways into theatre for early-career professionals from underrepresented backgrounds. It offers vital hands-on experience in an in-the-round producing theatre, helping to build a more inclusive and representative industry behind the scenes. We are pleased at how the programme has grown over the past three years as we continue to advocate for arts professionals locally and worldwide.”
We look forward to seeing what these talented participants end up doing next!