Inspire the next generation of theatre makers with free tickets and bespoke workshops
In 2026–27, The Old Vic will partner with 40 state secondary schools across London, engaging up to 30 students in each school for the full academic year. This programme is designed to encourage the next generation of theatre makers through providing young people in Years 9–13 with an introduction to a broad range of non-performing roles.
Schools Club supports the curriculum and works with schools and students from areas of London with less access to arts provision, inspiring students to pursue a career in the arts.
This year has been especially successful in broadening our students understanding of the theatre industry as a whole. It has given them a deeper appreciation of the backstage creative teams and the crucial part they play in bringing a production to life
Partner schools will receive the following:
- Four in-schools workshops, each covering a different theatre discipline, such as lighting, sound, set, costume, directing and playwriting
- The opportunity to attend a workshop at The Old Vic in our Clore Learning Centre
- Tickets to watch four Old Vic Productions throughout the academic year
- The opportunity to attend a week of work experience at The Old Vic
- Teacher CPD workshops led by industry professionals.
By taking part in this programme, your school agrees to four theatre visits and four workshops across the academic year (both in-school and on-site at The Old Vic). Workshops are scheduled in advance and in collaboration with teachers. We will be as flexible as possible to accommodate the needs of each school.
Some of the productions have not yet been confirmed, so dates may change:
Show one: TBC, Sep/Oct 2025
Show two: A Christmas Carol, 12 Nov 2026–09 Jan 2027
Show three: TBC, Feb/Mar 2026
Show four: TBC, Apr/May 2026
Applications for Schools Club are currently closed.
- Applications are open to all secondary state schools based within the M25
- This programme aims to work with young people who have limited access to the arts. We are particularly interested in working with young people from backgrounds unrepresented in theatre, such as young people from global majority backgrounds, disabled young people and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds
- Schools with a high percentage of students on free school meals will be prioritised
- We will work with a maximum of 30 students per school
- This programme has been developed to work with the same students for the duration of the year. This is so that we can adapt the workshops to their particular strengths and also build their skills throughout the year.
- Schools Club is open and accessible to all. We will discuss any access requirements your school may have before the project begins and will ensure appropriate support is in place
- We welcome applications from SEND schools
- We welcome applications from PRUs
- We welcome applications from alternative education providers
- We can adapt workshop content to suit your students
- We can bring in additional staff to support students during in-school workshops
- The Old Vic offer accessible performances including Captioned, Audio Described, British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreted and Relaxed performances. Find out more about access at The Old Vic on our website.
If you would like to discuss your school’s access requirements or if you have any questions before applying, please contact schoolsclub@oldvictheatre.com
If you have any questions, please contact schoolsclub@oldvictheatre.com
For more information on our schools’ projects, sign up to our mailing list: