Two HSDC students, Lara and Pippa, have taken part in an exclusive backstage work experience placement with the highly prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), demonstrating the College’s commitment to providing high quality employability opportunities that support student ambition, excellence and industry-ready skills.
Lara and Pippa were given the rare opportunity to get involved with the backstage operations of an RSC production.
The students joined the RSC’s Next Generation Backstage programme, an initiative that provides young people with rare and valuable hands-on experience of the various technical departments found in theatres. This placement opportunity represents the next milestone in HSDC’s landmark Lead Associate School partnership with the RSC, which continues to open exceptional professional pathways for learners at the College.
Kieran Corrigan, Early Careers Manager at the RSC, was highly impressed with the student’s work, saying:
“Lara and Pippa were brilliant, they got stuck in straight away and approached the experience with real enthusiasm and professionalism. It was fantastic to be able to offer an opportunity for them to explore offstage theatre careers.”
From day one, Lara and Pippa were immersed in a working theatre environment, aligning their experiences closely with HSDC’s mission to ensure that every student can access meaningful, real-world learning experiences. Kieran echoed this sentiment, saying:
“Experiences like this are so important in helping young people see the range of roles available within the industry and build confidence in a real working environment.”
Lara and Pippa were able to use what they learnt at College to their work experience with the RSC.
From day one, Lara and Pippa were immersed in a working theatre environment, aligning their experiences closely with HSDC’s mission to ensure that every student can access meaningful, real-world learning experiences.
The programme began at the famous Other Place theatre, where students met mentors, explored key creative departments and split into backstage teams. Lara and Pippa joined Scenic and Props, directly collaborating with industry professionals and putting the skills they had developed at College to the test.
Lara explains:
“We went to a warehouse where most of the props and set pieces were kept, and were asked to look around and pick up props to use for a few scenes we were preparing for from Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona. We were able to communicate with other departments to understand exactly what they needed.”
The hands-on experience was a great way to enrich their learning.
The pair also handcrafted props, participated in a production meeting and, after proving their initiative, were assigned additional responsibilities within the stage team, moving set pieces during live scenes. This progression reflects HSDC’s core focus on nurturing student excellence by encouraging learners to step up and outside of their comfort zones, showing initiative and demonstrating the professional skills that employers value the most.
Lara and Pippa were also able to troubleshoot real-time challenges and adapt their approach to existing stagecraft methods. Lara said:
“We tried moving the set pieces on stage, however, we encountered some problems. Instead of sliding them, we decided it might be easier to pick them up. We updated the director on the problem, and he approved this change.”
At the heart of this fantastic work experience placement was the opportunity for Lara and Pippa to truly immerse themselves into the world of theatre production, giving them valuable insights into the standards and expectations of professional theatre.
Lara spoke passionately about how the placement has strengthened her long-term career ambitions:
“This time working at the RSC has been so helpful for me, because I would love to work behind the scenes when I am not performing on stage at a theatre. If I get the opportunity to work with the RSC again, I would sign up straight away!”
HSDC’s key role as a Lead Associate School enables students to access world-class arts provision and to gain practical experience that few colleges can truly offer. Opportunities like this RSC placement are central HSDC’s ongoing commitment to preparing students for successful futures – whether that’s in theatre, technical production, the creative arts or beyond.