Directors In Practice

Associate Artist Producer Training Programmer | Directors In Practice

Since 2025 StoneCrabs has brought a new training programme to the Isle of Wight for young theatre makers. Every year we recruit three trainees who live on the island and are aspiring theatre makers and creatives. It is a chance for these young people to hone their career aspirations by trying different aspects of creative community engagement and theatre production.

This practical course will give participants with a variety of backgrounds and experiences the space and time to examine their practice in detail, as well as gaining more experience by working closely within StoneCrabs projects, shadowing, assisting and eventually taking the lead as they are supported by a professional mentor.

This programme is not only training the next generation of theatre makers but is building the overall capacity for delivering theatre and performance arts projects on the Isle of Wight.

The annual training programme (AAPTP) covers planning, facilitation, and working with vulnerable groups, as well as directing and producing. Some of the training is delivered by external facilitators and some by staff which also includes mentoring and coaching.

Due to funding restrictions, the Directors In Practice programme and festival is currently on pause. We working towards bringing a new edition out in the near future, combining our AAPTP with the original Directors In Practice Programme. More information in due course.

We currently have 3 AAPTP trainees in place, and applications for the next AAPTP will be open March 2027.

Read all about our previous Directors Training Programme ( formerly known as StoneCrabs Young Directors Programme)

Young Directors Training Programme

The Programme

StoneCrabs is a director-led company: its interest in nurturing new directors from all sectors of the community fuels this programme. Each year a small number of young directors go through training programme centred around production, project management and theatre directing. It introduces artistic and practical management tools for the director and encourages an individual approach, utilizing the director’s own vision. At the end of the programme, the participants put their training into practice by producing a festival with professional actors, each participant directing a play of their choice. This popular Programme has been running since 2006.

Why should you participate?

Previous years

Check the blogs by Hattie Coupe  and  Ferghal Crowley

Click here to read the 2014 ‘A Younger Theatre’ articles written by past participants, and here to read the 2015 articles.

Award winners here.

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