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Good Chance Theatre
‘And the Bafta goes to…’ - Opening Doors for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
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Good Chance Theatre’s Stage Door(opens in new window) programme provides refugees and asylum seekers with flexible, paid work experience in the theatre industry, creating pathways to permanent employment and fostering the next generation of theatre professionals.
Who should read this?
If you’re looking to increase employment opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers, or if you're involved in the arts and looking to diversify your workforce, this is for you.
Why should you read this?
Providing paid work experience for refugees and asylum seekers empowers them and enriches your organisation. Learning from the Stage Door programme can help you develop similar initiatives that offer meaningful employment pathways, professional growth and enable us to create industries more reflective of our country’s flourishing diversity.
What’s the take-away?
Creating bespoke, flexible work programmes tailored to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers can lead to successful long-term employment, provided ongoing support and expert mentorship is available along the way. Collaborating with partners in the industry turns these opportunities into meaningful opportunities for professional development.
What’s the story?
Good Chance's Stage Door programme offers part-time, flexible paid work experience to refugees and asylum seekers, helping them enter the theatre industry. Over 3 to 6 months, participants gain experience in various departments and work on major projects. For instance, a partnership with Nimax Theatres has created a placement with the crew at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End, across all backstage departments including lighting, sound, set, stage management, costume. A partnership with the Academy award-winning Slick Films led to 3 trainee positions on the set for Largo, a new short film.
The recruitment process involves personal outreach to partners and targeted efforts through equitable employment recruiters, ensuring opportunities reach those who need them most. Good Chance proactively meets as many of the eligible applicants as possible, and candidates have the opportunity to bring along a mentor or case worker at interview. Anyone met is added to Good Chance’s Artist Development CRM database for future opportunities.
What’s the impact?
The Stage Door programme has successfully integrated refugees and asylum seekers into the theatre industry and created professional development opportunities, with participants like Amir Hussain Ibrahimi and Şule Ceyda Karakus continuing their roles at Good Chance, involved in stage management, production, marketing and finance.
What should you do next?
Read personal stories from previous Stage Door trainees Amir, Rasha, Şule and Aymen here(opens in new window). Connect with Good Chance to learn more about implementing similar programmes.
