Headlong Reveals 2025 Origins Cohort Supporting Early Career Directors

Headlong has announced the 2025 participants in their pioneering Origins programme, celebrating and developing early career theatre directors from across the UK, outside of London.

Now in its fifth year, the Headlong Origins scheme is supported by the Backstage Trust and continues the company’s ambitions of nurturing talent within the heart of the organisation. 

Directors are invited to work closely with the company for 12 months, during which they will receive mentorship from leading industry professionals and Headlong’s producing and creative team. The artists will join Headlong’s R&D sessions and workshops, engage with rehearsal processes and see work from theatres across the UK, as they develop their own work and artistic vision. This year's candidates will also have the opportunity to build close relationships with Headlong's Associate Partners the Oxford Playhouse, Leeds Playhouse and Bolton Octagon.

The Origins 2025 cohort includes Namoo Chae Lee, Casey Lloyd, Jessica Mensah, Amy Reade and Samuel Tracy. Full biographies are in the link above.

Holly Race Roughan, Artistic Director of Headlong said: "In today’s precarious cultural landscape, the Headlong Origins Directors Programme is a lifeline —investing in bold, radical talent in an industry where lack of funding and intentional deprioritizing of art in schools threatens the next generation of creative expression. 

“We are committed to empowering emerging theatre-makers to challenge, disrupt, and reshape the stories that define our times and hone their practice. These five artists are brave, inspiring makers and thinkers from across the UK outside of the capital and I can’t wait to spend the upcoming year with them."

Previous Headlong Origins Artists include: Anna Berentzen, Callum Berridge, Gitika Buttoo, Maria Crocker, Mandeep Kaur Glover, Nyasha Gudo, Sam Hardie, Alix Harris, Julia Head, Fionnuala Kennedy, Maisie Newman, Jack Nurse, Ellie Taylor, Sita Thomas and Emily Ling Williams. 

All have gone on to direct further work, with some directing their first mid-scale productions for theatres such as the Bush, Bristol Old Vic, Leeds Playhouse, Exeter Northcott, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Manchester Royal Exchange, and Leicester Curve. Others have gone on to direct or assist on shows for larger stages such as The National Theatre, Almeida, Royal Shakespeare Company, Birmingham Hippodrome and the Lyric Theatre; landed roles in artistic leadership and received or been shortlisted for bursaries and awards such as the Nicole Kidman bursary from MGCFutures, the 2023 JMK Director Award and The Stage Debut award for Best Director.

For further information visit headlong.co.uk. 

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