Your monthly Hippodrome Creatives update

Hippodrome Creatives Newsletter

Spring is in the air - we hope you're enjoying the sunshine as much as we are!☀️

We have some brilliant opportunities in the newsletter this month (inlcuding applications for Writer's Block and New Earth Theatre Makers Plus being open!) and some great events coming up. Make sure to check out the Creatives Community section to help out a Birmingham-based woman-led festival with a quick survey!

Rehearsal Spaces & Artists' Lounge

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).

Please note that the Artists' Lounge will be closed over the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend, Friday 18 - Monday 21 April, and will be back open to Creatives on Tuesday 22 April.

Hippodrome Creative Opportunities

Writer's Block - Applications Open!

Writer's Block is an informal scratch night, where artists get to test out early ideas with feedback from a supportive room of creatives.

There are 3 slots per event, each slot is 20 minutes long, including time for feedback. There is £125 available for each slot.

The next Writer's Block is: Wednesday 7 May

Deadline: Wednesday 23 April

Apply here!

New Earth Theatre Makers Plus

We are thrilled to be working with New Earth Theatre on their Theatre Makers Academy Plus – Birmingham.

This is a 6-month part time course for Midlands based East Asian and South East Asian performers and theatre makers looking to further develop their artistic practice and who want to make their own original work for live performance. You don’t have to be an actor to apply - you could be a dancer, poet, circus performer, writer, director or musician.

Course Period: September 2025 to February 2026

Deadline: Friday 2 May, 10am

Find out more about the course on the New Earth Theatre website here!

Apply here!

Other Creative Opportunities

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.

TEDxLadywood Women - Speaker Applications Open

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDxLadywood Women are looking for up to 12 speakers for their next event pn 27 September 2025, held at MAC Birmingham.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of an event that will showcase extraordinary ideas, amplify diverse voices, and inspire change in Ladywood and beyond. TEDxLadywood Women is committed to curating thought-provoking talks that align with the theme, ‘Shaping the Future’, and creating a powerful experience for their audience.

Deadline: 14 April

Find out more and apply here!

Ezra Collective Foundation - Development Opportunity

Ezra Collective Future Foundation have announced 5 new paid development opportunities for young Black women to learn, grow and gain real industry experience with their behind the scenes team in May 2025. They are offering roles of Artist Management, Tour and Production Management, Front of House / Live Sound, Band Leadership and Backline Technician.

Deadline: 11 April

Find out more and apply here!

National Writers Conference 2025

Join Writing West Midlands for a day filled with dynamic panel discussions, insightful presentations, and excellent networking opportunities with writers from across the country.

Leading writers, publishers and other industry professionals will share their expertise on topics designed to support and elevate your writing career.

31 May 2025, University of Birmingham Campus

Find out more here!

Actor Call Out - RSC

RSC's Casting team will be holding two days of general meetings in Stratford on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 April 2025.

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:

Have at least two paid professional credits, or have trained at an accredited drama school
Be over 18 years of age and out of full-time education at point of application*
Live within a 25-mile radius of the RSC’s location in Stratford-upon-Avon (CV37 6BB)

Deadline: 13 April

Find out more and sign up here!

Amazing ArtBoxes: Call out for artists

Midlands Arts Centre presents an opportunity for artists from all disciplines to create their own ArtBox for display throughout MAC as part of a free, fun, family trail during the summer holidays.

You are invited to be as experimental as you like, using a range of materials, static objects, sound, touch, smell or moving images as part of your display.

Deadline: 22 April

Find out more and submit your proposal!

Future producers of musicals in the Midlands

Are you (or could you be) a producer of musical theatre in the Midlands?

Do you make live events happen, perhaps as a creative yourself, perhaps co-ordinating things for collaborators or your local community ?
Are you interested in finding out more about being a producer of musical theatre in the Midlands? And about opportunities to get involved locally with new musicals/music theatre?
Or are you an early career producer of musical theatre in the Midlands and want to find out more about opportunities, and meet some like-minded individuals?

If your answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then we’d love to invite you to a free event hosted by China Plate, Musical Theatre Network, Stage One & Birmingham Hippodrome. We will share some industry insights from the China Plate, Musical Theatre Network, Stage One and Birmingham Hippodrome teams, signpost relevant opportunities, and give you the chance to meet other producers/future producers, and discuss what would help you achieve your ambitions in this area. You don’t need to already be a producer. If musical theatre interests you, and you’re someone who likes ‘making things happen’ - come join us for a conversation!

When: 5.15 - 7.15pm, Tuesday 29th April

Where: Birmingham Hippodrome (in the Artists’ Lounge)

BOOK HERE

Without Walls - Blueprint R&D 2025 OPEN CALL

The 2025 Blueprint Open Call from Without Walls offers up to £10,000 for R&D of bold, innovative ideas for new outdoor arts projects. Projects selected for Blueprint 2025 will also be eligible to apply for Commissioning and Touring by Without Walls in its 2027 programme. Blueprint is an opportunity for artists to experiment, collaborate, and refine new ideas.

Proposals should be designed for outdoor arts festival touring, with artists committed to exploring opportunities beyond Without Walls festivals.

Deadline: Wednesday 16 April, 12pm

Find out more and apply here!

The 2025 Writers' Award is open for entries!

The Creative Future Writers' Award is the only 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 is ‘Wild’. The theme is a creative prompt, not a requirement. We’re looking for quality writing first and foremost.

Fifteen winners will share:

£20,000 worth of cash and development prizes
publication in our anthology and eBook
read at our showcase as part of the London Literature Festival 2025
ongoing development support from Creative Future

Deadline: Sunday 18 May, 11.59pm

Find out more here!

From our Creative Community

HYSTERIA Festival

Untamed Productions are working to bring back women-led theatre festival HYSTERIA to Birmingham. In order to do so they need collect some data on what people would like to see at the festival and why it’s important to create these regional opportunities.

If the festival sounds like something you would want to participate in or attend, then please fill out the survey below. It would be really helpful for people to fill it out regardless of gender as hopefully it’s a festival everyone will want to support! It should only take a few mins to fill out and is super important to help get the festival going.

Fill out the survey!

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)

creatives@birminghamhippodrome.com
0121 689 3043 (local call charges apply)

birminghamhippodrome.com/creativesbenefits

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