Mulberry Production Arts Academy - Mulberry School for Girls

Empowering the next generation of changemakers in production and technical arts

The Mulberry Production Arts Academy is groundbreaking specialised technical and production arts programme that equips young people from the Mulberry Schools Trust with the necessary skills and connections to take up their rightful place within the global cultural and creative landscape; enabling more young people from underrepresented groups to access rewarding careers in this sector.

In partnership with the National Theatre and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the academy offers training in the field of production and technical arts and providing a specialist pipeline for students to develop career aspirations in this industry.

The academy was established to take explicit positive action to address the current skills shortage in the UK’s production and technical arts workforce and the wider chronic crisis in representation within the UK’s cultural and creative industries. We believe the UK’s cultural and creative industries should be truly reflective of the diversity of this country, inclusive of all people regardless of gender, race, disability, socio-economic background, faith and age.

Our Innovative Programme

The Mulberry Production Arts Academy operates a three-term structure, running for students In Years 9/10 and Year 12 on Saturdays during term time, and in the school holidays.

All students enrolled on the programme gain:

an understanding of the principles of production and technical design
extensive training and experience in practical production and design
an industry mentor to support their development at every stage of the programme
the opportunity to deploy the practical and technical skills they have learnt in a professional setting through placements
a network of practitioners and peers
a clear vision and pathway into the industry

In January 2024 will be launching the Mulberry Production Arts Academy outreach programme to complement the existing programme in order to allow us to engage with an even wider group of young people. All schools in the Trust will be invited to join the programme which will initially work with Year 6 and Year 7 students. Our aim is that all students in these years across the Trust will participate in at least one production arts workshop during the academic year. As well as providing information on the wide variety of carer opportunities available in the creative industry sector, the workshops will also explore the artistic application of technical expertise and the close relationship between STEM and the arts, enabling students to understand that the two are not mutually exclusive.

Mulberry Arts