We offer free last minute rehearsal spaces. Our studios can be available Monday – Friday between 10am – 5pm. Email creatives@birminghamhippodrome.com by 11am Wednesday with requests for the following week. Please drop us a message with a bit of info on what you’ll be using the space for, as well as how many people will be in attendance. This ensures we can book you into the most appropriate space available!

The Artists' Lounge is a relaxed space for Creatives to be at home in the Hippodrome with drinks making facilities, a lounge and library (open weekdays 10am – 5pm). Best accessed through our Thorp Street Reception Entrance. 

We've also now set up Hippodrome Creatives as a Community over on the Hippodrome's Instagram account! We'll be sharing the latest on what we're up to, updates on the Artists' Lounge, content and news! Click here to join!

Playspace - Applications Open for September and November

For three days every month, Playspace offers a different artist or team access to space at Birmingham Hippodrome to explore an idea.

Playspace offers -

• Three days of free rehearsal space
• Access costs support
• A small materials budget
• An outside eye if useful / a team member to attend if sharing is held

Some examples of what artists have used Playspace for (you don't need to necessarily fit neatly into one of these!) -

• Explore a piece of work in the early stages of development (first reading, trying scenes out in a studio space)
• Workshop a piece of work that is in the mid-stages of development
• Rehearsal and small sharing in the rehearsal studio

Application Deadline: Sunday 27 July, 12pm 

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the team at creatives@birminghamhippodrome.com.

Find out more about Playspace from previous artists by clicking on the video below! 

Looking Back, Moving Forwards - 9 July 

To mark the close of Pride Month, Women & Theatre warmly invite you to “Looking Back, Moving Forwards”, an evening of monologues that share the stories of people in the LGBTQ+ community, from our city. Researched and Written by Janice Connolly & Hannah Graham.

• Wednesday 9th July 2025
• Doors Open 7:30pm
• The Moseley Hive, 39 Alcester Rd, Birmingham, B13 8DD
• Pay what you feel

Originally commissioned by The Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Each monologue is written from research, drawing on lived experiences. This evening is a celebration, a remembrance, and a call to continue listening long after Pride Month ends. Whether you’re part of the community or an ally, we hope you’ll join us to listen and reflect on the community’s presence in Birmingham. All are welcome.

Book your spot here!

Birmingham Opera Company - woman.life.song

Birmingham Opera Company are looking for Brummies to sing and act in their next production, woman.life.song! You don't need any experience, and you don't have to audition. Whether you've performed many times before or you're a complete newbie- everyone's welcome! 

You can join them for a free taster session (all ages (16+) acting/dance taster session is on Saturday 12 July at 2:00pm- 5:00pm & Sunday 13 July at 2:00pm- 5:00pm) or just sign up to take part in the show! 

Find out more and sign up here! 

After Sunday Assistant Director - Belgrade Theatre and Bush Theatre

The Belgrade Theatre and Bush Theatre are seeking a local Assistant Director from Coventry or surrounding areas (within easy commuting distance of the Belgrade Theatre) to support After Sunday from September to December 2025. This freelance opportunity is designed to support a creative, passionate, and committed early to mid-career director through hands-on production experience and mentorship, with time in both Coventry and London.

Fee: £4,200 total (7 weeks), plus travel, accommodation and expenses for London work in line with UK Theatre / Equity agreements.

Contract: Freelance, 7 weeks from 8 Sept to 15 Oct, plus additional days for London re-rehearsal and noting.

Deadline: Friday 18 July

Find out more here! 

Woven Voices Prize 2025

The Gate Theatre and Woven Voices have partnered to present the Woven Voices Prize for Playwriting. This prestigious award creates a vital pathway for migrant artists in the UK to have their work read, shared and developed, bringing their stories to life.

The winning playwright will receive a commission of £3500, and a bespoke R&D process for the winning script which includes a further 3 weeks of paid development time. Two of these weeks will include additional creative team members and cast, culminating in an optional public sharing.

Deadline: 27 July 

Find out more here! 

Culture Central 

Culture Central are recruiting two leadership associates to work alongside the leadership of Culture Central for up to ten days over the year.  

Culture Central are hosting a briefing and networking session on 16 July, 5:30pm-7:30pm at Spaces, The Mailbox in Birmingham. This is an opportunity to find out about the roles, and meet the Culture Central team and members of the board. 

Find out more here!

Culture Central have also now opened applications for their leadership development programme for those traditionally excluded from senior roles in the cultural sector, Collective. 

Deadline: Wednesday 30 July, 11am

Find out more and apply here!

Belgrade Theatre Coventry - Ensemble 25/26

Fairlight by Alexandra Taylor

Fairlight is a brand new electropop musical about queer invisibility in tennis. Join us at the oldest lawn tennis club in the world for the world premiere of this powerful and playful show.

Named after the house where Harry Gem and Augurio Perera first invented the game in the 1860s, Fairlight retells the origin story of lawn tennis as an opposites-attract queer love story. With music inspired by the sounds of the Fairlight CMI, the world’s first commercially available sampler, the songs are interwoven with accounts of Victorian prosecutions of gay men, demonstrations of the rules of lawn tennis and interviews with current LGBT+ tennis professionals.

It’s an entertaining and moving show which explores why sport remains a place where many people struggle to be their authentic selves.

6pm, Saturday 30th August 2025

Edgbaston Archery & Lawn Tennis Society, Birmingham B15 3TR

For more information, and to book your tickets, visit the website: fairlightmusical.co.uk

If you'd like us to share any events, sharings, shows, readings or anything you're working on in this newsletter, please get in touch through creatives@birminghamhippodrome.com.

We include many opportunities in the monthly newsletter, some sent to us and some we come across online. While we do read through all opportunities included, these are not endorsements for the companies or organisations they're published by. If you have questions or there are any issues with opportunities shared in the newsletter, please get in touch with the organisations directly.

Thank you for being part of the Hippodrome Creatives community. See you soon!

Maria-Magdalena (New Work & Artist Development Coordinator)