The Lighthouse in Poole is introducing a new scheme for young people in the area that will enable them to get involved in the creative arts.
The theatre, one of the largest arts centres in the country, is launching the Youth Employment Programme, which will seek to help people between 16-24 to develop skills and gain experience.
The company will provide apprenticeships and paid internships for young people who want to pursue a career within the arts.
The Lighthouse said that the scheme was open to anyone from “graduates, to those with few or no qualifications”, as they will be offered “on-the-job training and experience”.
Lighthouse General Manager Rachel Newman said people can bring “a fresh outlook, new learning approaches and enthusiasm to learn, all of which are vital in a creative environment”
Funding for the scheme is coming from the Creative Employment Programme, a nationwide £15 million fund which supports the arts sector across England.
Ms Newman said “We have been delivering unpaid placements and opportunities for a long time but this funding allows us to pay individuals for their contribution”.
The Lighthouse also hope that “opportunities for technical apprenticeships” will also help to avoid a “national shortage of skilled technicians”.
The theatre, which has been open since 1978, has been declared by Arts Council England as the biggest arts venue outside London.
It was originally known as Poole Arts Centre but was reopened after refurbishment as the Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, in 2002.
People looking to apply for the scheme should visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk to find out further details.
