We offer free last minute rehearsal spaces. Our studios can be available Monday – Friday between 10am – 5pm by emailing 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). The Lounge may be a bit busier than usual on Friday 30 May as a Young Community Drop In session as part of BSIDE Festival will be taking place (there will also be a DJ in the Atrium in the afternoon!).

China Plate - The Optimists Course 2025

The Optimists offers an introduction to the craft of producing in a professional context. It supports early-career producers and creatives to build networks and confidence by demystifying the financial, administrative, and organisational aspects of producing.
Led by China Plate and shaped by our extensive industry experience, the course brings in guest experts and facilitators to offer insight into areas such as articulating an idea, budgeting, fundraising, marketing, general management, access, and inclusion.

This year, the course will run from Saturday 14th June to Saturday 2nd August. It includes eight in-person evening sessions on Wednesdays, bookended by two extended Saturday sessions.

Deadline: Friday 23 May, Midday

For more information about how to apply, please visit: https://chinaplatetheatre.com/opportunities

If you have any questions about this year's course and how to apply, please get in touch with Kristina at optimists@chinaplatetheatre.com

Creative Future's Annual Writers’ Award - Applications open

The Creative Future Writers’ Award is open for applications! Free to enter national competition for all underrepresented writers: those who face barriers due to mental health challenges, physical or learning disability, neurodiversity, survivors, and those from LGBTQIA+, working class and/or Black, Asian and global majority backgrounds.

The theme for this year’s award’s is ‘Wild’. The competition is open for poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Submit your poetry (up to 50 lines), fiction or creative non-fiction pieces (up to 2000 words). 

Deadline: 18 May, 11:59pm

Find out more and apply here!

Develop Your Creative Practice - Round 23 Open

Arts Council England's DYCP fund is now open for another round. The DYCP fund supports individual creative and cultural practitioners to focus on their development and take them to the next stage of their practice. You can apply for up to £12,000 for development activities related to supported disciplines like -

• building new networks​
• experimenting with new collaborators or partners ​
• international travel to explore your practice​
• professional development activities, such as
• training
• working with mentors ​
• research and development time to explore your practice and take risks

Samānatā 2025 - SOUTH ASIAN QUEER PERFORMANCE SEED COMMISSIONS

Jaivant Patel Company, Wolverhampton and Kala Sangam, Bradford are once again offering seed commissions to a South Asian LGBTQIA+ identifying artists/creative to support the development of innovative new performance-based work.

They're offering -

• £2800 seed commission
• An opportunity to test and develop ideas in the early stages that is free of any expectation or finished end product
• 5 days R&D space in Bradford or Wolverhampton in Autumn 2025 (Sept-Dec)
• 2 days mentoring from Jaivant Patel, Artistic Director of Jaivant Patel Company
• Additional access, counselling, or coaching costs up to £200

Alfred Fagon Award - Applications Open

In Good Company - 1 to 1 Sessions

In Good Company are offering support with if you have an idea you want to develop, or need support writing a bid, or anything else you can think of to help the Midlands creative scene.

You can book a free one to one support session with the In Good Company team of dedicated professionals. You can submit a request for a session by filling out their questionnaire here.

Culture Central's Charter for Equity Survey

Culture Central have launched a survey to gather perspectives on equitable practice from cultural workers and artists in the West Midlands. It is an opportunity to feed into ongoing research towards a possible Charter for Equity for the Cultural Sector in the West Midlands: a set of principles and commitments that cultural organisations can adopt to promote equity, fair treatment and inclusion across the workforce.

Read more about the research on Culture Central's website and fill out the survey here. 

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)