Last month, we were delighted to host our first Cue Backstage Day at the National Theatre of Scotland’s Rockvilla building. The event was a hands-on, conversation-led event set up to demystify backstage and offstage roles and allow experienced professionals in the industry to provide insight and knowledge to disabled people interested in working in theatre. 

This is part of our wider project, Cue Backstage which is funded by The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation for 3 years, and which seeks to create equitable, accessible, and visible pathways into backstage and offstage work in the theatre industry. The project will work strategically with partners nationwide over this time, supporting the development and creation of a more diverse production workforce across Scotland’s performing arts. BOP and our partners have identified an ongoing lack of disabled people in these roles, and Cue Backstage aims to research the reasons for this, and propose new ways forward.

Our Cue Backstage day was a first step in this direction, and was all about opening doors (literally and metaphorically) to create a space where curiosity around production roles could thrive, questions could be asked and answers to removing barriers explored. 

On the day, our tables covered Stage Management, Production, Lighting, Costume, Props and so much more. Our industry professionals provided items and tools relating to their jobs (costume drawings, lighting visualisers, stage management kits etc) which became key entry points into meaningful conversations. 

The group of industry professionals in attendance also included members of our disabled led and industry steering groups, including members from Scottish Opera, Stellar Quines, Moving Parts Arts and a number of freelancers, such as designer Kat Radeva who is currently working with us on our next production, (We indulge in) a bit of roll play.

Attendees were also able to ask any questions for our industry professionals. How to record a lighting cue? How do you make a wig? What does a Production Manager do? It was a great opportunity to delve deep, and provide information about these roles that is often hidden behind jargon, or unavailable to many people with no prior connections to the industry.

Accessibility was a core element to the day, and the team made sure to include as many accessible measures as possible such as BSL interpreters, sight guides, sensory bags and remote live captioning so that people were more able to approach the tables and talk to industry professionals in ways that were most useful and accessible to them. 

Morna, our Development Officer, explains that:

“We worked to make it feel really different to a traditional ‘job fair’ set up. The access provisions we put in place were used and appreciated by attendees – from sign language interpretation, to verbal communication support, to having visual and tactile examples from a range of backstage and offstage roles to ease the pressure of having to speak to people.”

In the morning session, we welcomed a mixed group of attendees with a wide range of backgrounds and interests. We met teenagers exploring their first creative steps, adults retraining or returning after long gaps in the industry, young designers, and HND graduates looking for the next step.

Michelle Rolfe, our Producer and project lead:

“We saw a real range of ages — from those still in secondary school to people who had worked in the industry years ago and were thinking about coming back. A striking point for the BOP team was discovering innovative ways that some of our attendees were working or routes they had taken to find their interests in these roles. We met people whose skills had developed from their interests in cosplay, working on tech in their Church, and using Lego modelling as a tool for design. And it was the opportunity for long conversations and quality of time that allowed us to make these discoveries and make very real connections with our attendees. “

Hannah, PA to the Executive Team, spoke about why the day felt so valuable:

“It was great seeing people making the most of the event — having in-depth conversations and getting answers to questions that are really hard to ask when you’re not already ‘in the industry’.”

She also shared that many people wished there were more opportunities like this to meet professionals informally and ask questions freely to get real insights into these roles.

A major highlight for the BOP team was the chance for industry professionals to connect and reflect together. After the morning session, we joined together for a wonderful lunch provided by MILK Glasgow, which allowed people to chat, swap stories and questions, and talk amongst themselves before moving into the more structured feedback session in the afternoon. 

Our Artistic Director, Robert, summed it up perfectly:

“For me the benefit of it was seeing established Scottish production people there, and watching them recognise that getting disabled people into the sector would be beneficial, doable and interesting”

It was a great opportunity for industry peers to meet one another, connect, and discuss these roles in detail, but also come together to discuss ways to make the pathways of this more accessible for disabled people. In the afternoon session of the day, we came together as industry professionals and had the rare opportunity for people from different disciplines to sit, share and reflect together.

What’s Next for Cue Backstage

The chance for peers to discuss the key issues surrounding access to these roles was invaluable, and the cross-experience mix of insights is something that Cue Backstage will be carrying forward. We’re excited to move forward with our plans, offering more opportunities for hands-on exploration, deeper industry connections, and more work into demystifying backstage and offstage roles. 

Michelle and the rest of the BOP team and the project steering groups are excited to draw learning form the day forward and have identified the need to repeat such events to raise awareness further:

“The numbers weren’t huge, but they were enough to show this is needed – we learnt so much from the conversations on the day. Whether learner to professional or peer to peer with those already working in the sector. And the low numbers also show it needs to happen more!”

And as Hannah reflected, people want, and deserve, more of these accessible spaces to explore opportunities to break down barriers together.

The Cue Backstage Day was a clear demonstration of what happens when you give space for people to talk, share and explore curiosity. It showed us a real appetite for backstage and offstage work, with a need for clearer pathways and entry points. It showed us the creative, innovative ways people are already building skills in their own spaces, and reminded us that building an accessible industry isn’t a one-off event: it’s an ongoing, collective commitment. 

Find out more about Cue Backstage on the project webpage.