STAGE SIGHT: New Network to Improve Diversity of Theatre Workforce Announced

Stage Sight, a new collaborative network to help create a diverse off stage theatre workforce, has been launched by theatre lighting designer Prema Mehta, supported by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre.

Stage Sight was created by Prema Mehta as a direct response to the industry's need to widen its workforce and become more reflective of today's society, and to include people who come from a BAME background, people from a working class background and disabled and D/deaf people.

Theatre organisations and professionals are asked to commit to practical change in one of three areas; recruitment (making hiring practices more open), reaching out (raising public awareness of off stage roles) and new pathways (developing new learning and training experiences), and to share their learning with the Stage Sight network.

The Stage Sight website acts as a showcase for inspiring projects and good practice, and an online community for sharing ideas, resources, progress and learning. Quarterly members' forums bring Stage Sight members together to share ideas and progress, and to support each other's projects.

Stage Sight is for those already exploring ways to improve representation who have experience to share, or those keen to start making change and in need of ideas and guidance.

Prema Mehta, lighting designer and Stage Sight founder, said:

'Many people don't know about theatre - we could all do more to reach out to larger pools of our community to widen our workforce and our pool of talent. It is fantastic that so many organisations have already joined Stage Sight, and I hope many more do too. Real change will only happen if the industry comes together to share ideas for opening our doors to everyone.'

Organisations that have already committed to being part of Stage Sight include the Association of British Theatre Technicians, Chichester Festival Theatre, Disney Theatrical Group, English Touring Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Mercury Theatre Colchester, the National Theatre, Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and the Young Vic.

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