Get Into Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust have announced they will join forces from April 2026, creating a single national route into theatre careers for young people across the UK.
The merger brings together Get Into Theatre’s national digital platform for 12 to 25 year olds with Masterclass’s long-established programme of talks, workshops, mentoring, paid internships and the annual TheatreCraft careers fair.
Operating under the name Get Into Theatre, the new organisation aims to provide joined-up support at every stage of a young person’s journey, from discovering what roles exist in theatre to developing skills, building networks and securing paid opportunities.
The combined charity will continue to serve young people, teachers, parents and industry partners nationwide, strengthening the bridge between emerging talent and the professional theatre workforce.
Alex Duarte-Davies, CEO of Get Into Theatre, said “This merger creates a truly joined-up classroom to career pathway for young people across the UK — from that first spark of curiosity, to exploring opportunities, building skills, making industry connections and progressing into sustainable careers. Get Into Theatre exists to break down barriers and diversify our industry, ensuring that every young person, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, can see that there is a place for them in theatre. This milestone for both the charity, the education sector and the wider industry comes at a time when it is needed more than ever.”
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Clare Annamalai, CEO of Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust, said “The team at Get Into Theatre have built an invaluable resource for young people, teachers and the theatre industry. The work they do to demystify theatre careers is the perfect precursor to a visit to the TheatreCraft careers fair and perhaps, eventually, involvement in the Masterclass creative community. By combining our complementary capabilities, resources and geographical reach we can offer a coherent pathway to young theatremakers, as well as a compelling service to our industry partners. Through this merger we will become stronger and more effective, without sacrificing the rich history and personal connections that make Masterclass so special.”
Actor Cush Jumbo, who has collaborated with both organisations, said “Theatre changes lives, but only if people can find a way in. Masterclass and Get Into Theatre already do brilliant work supporting young people, so I know that by joining forces they will make the journey into a theatre career more visible, more accessible and more possible for the next generation.”
Producer and Get Into Theatre trustee Zeynep Gunaydin added “Both Get Into Theatre and Masterclass played such an important role in my journey into the industry, so it’s incredibly exciting to see them come together. It’s going to make a real difference for future theatre-makers to be able to access that kind of support all in one place.”
Arnold Crook, founder of Masterclass and TheatreCraft, said “I’m so proud of the work we’ve done to train and educate young theatre makers, over nearly 30 years. Joining forces with Get Into Theatre will allow us to go beyond London and support even more young people, which has always been the driving force behind Masterclass and TheatreCraft.”
There will be no downsizing or redundancies as a result of the merger, with teams maintaining working hubs in London and Bath while continuing activity across the UK, and Alex Duarte-Davies and Clare Annamalai serving as co-directors of the new organisation.
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