A bright future

When this most recent lockdown was announced, it seemed like it was the toughest one, and we sat down as a team and said: “We've got to do something!”’ Alexander Ferris, director of creative engagement at Leeds Playhouse, tells me.

Now in its second year, Young Leaders is just one part of Leeds Playhouse's impressive Creative Engagement programme, Playhouse Connect, and shows a proactive and forward-looking commitment to innovating opportunities for young people in the arts.

This is a free course for 18- to 25-year-olds to train and become the next generation of arts facilitators and producers. It is a welcome initiative sitting in the notoriously difficult post-training or early career stage for young creatives; when it is hard to get a foot in the door, find a network, and build a portfolio.