Assistant director

Closing date for applications: 6pm, Sunday 11th October 2026

Hours: This is a full time post of 37.5 hours a week. Rehearsals hours are 10am-6pm, some evening/weekend days will be required during tech/performance weeks

Responsible to: Artistic Director

Duration: This is a fixed-term, freelance post for 5.5 weeks, part-funded by the Stage Door 11 programme with Good Chance.

Salary: £13.45 per hour – £26,000 pro rata. Approximate monthly salary before deductions is £2,185.

Dates: The post holder will work from 16 November- 22nd December

Location: This role is based at Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG

Take your next step in theatre directing by joining the creative team behind Unity Theatre’s Christmas show.

Through theatre and art, Good Chance creates new kinds of communities, collaborating with artists from across the world and connecting people, stories and cultures.

Unity Theatre is partnering with Good Chance to offer a hands-on creative role for someone with experience of forced displacement. We are looking for an Assistant Director to join the team on our new devised Christmas show taking place at Unity Theatre this December.

This is a paid training opportunity for someone who wants to develop their skills in directing and making theatre. You will work closely with the Director and creative team throughout rehearsals and the production process.

Although you do not need extensive experience to apply, we do ask that candidates have some experience in theatre making or within a rehearsal room. This could be in a professional capacity, through university placements or independent projects. We are looking for someone who is curious, organised, enjoys working with people, and is excited to learn. This role is a chance to gain hands-on experience creating a new devised theatre production.

About Unity Theatre

Unity Theatre is a home for bold, exciting and inclusive theatre in Liverpool. We support artists at every stage of their careers and champion new voices, diverse stories and creative risk-taking.

Each year we engage around 20,500 people through a diverse programme of professional performances, festivals, participatory projects, creative learning, artist development and community engagement. Alongside presenting nationally recognised theatre, we nurture emerging artists, commission new work and provide opportunities for people of all ages to develop creative skills and confidence.

About the Christmas show

Unity Christmas show is a devised show, with a focus on physicality and visual storytelling, we pride ourselves on offering a family and neurodiverse friendly alternative to panto for all ages to enjoy, see a trailer for last year’s show here.

The process involves a core team of 3 actors who have experience in creating physical devised children’s work, and work well as an ensemble.

About Stage Door

Stage Door is Good Chance Theatre’s flagship programme dedicated to creating bespoke paid trainee opportunities for creatives from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. The programme celebrates and nurtures creative industry professionals while addressing the imbalance of opportunities available to people who have been displaced.

Following the incredible success of Stage Door 10, this traineeship forms part of the development of a new cohort: Stage Door 11. This year, the programme will see 11 traineeships rolled out across the country. As part of Stage Door 11 the Assistant Director will receive a series of one-to-one wellbeing sessions with Good Chance’s Deputy Artistic Director. They will also become part of a cohort of 11 trainees coming together to benefit from networking opportunities, skills development sessions, and masterclasses delivered by Good Chance. Towards the end of their placement, the trainee will also receive three mentoring sessions from a member of the Unity team, supporting them as they reflect on their experience and consider their next steps within the theatre industry.

Role and Responsibilities:

You will support the Director by:

• Attending rehearsals and production meetings.
• Taking rehearsal notes and helping keep track of ideas.
• Supporting with documentation/film/images during rehearsals
• Supporting performers during rehearsals.
• Helping with research, creative and making tasks.
• Assisting with planning and preparing rehearsal sessions.
• Helping to communicate information between the creative team and cast.
• Supporting the smooth running of rehearsals.
• Observing the creative process and learning about directing.
• Taking on small directing tasks when appropriate, with support from the Director.

Person Specification

This traineeship is offered as a professional development opportunity open specifically to people from a refugee or asylum seeking background with lived experience of forced displacement.

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable interest in directing or making theatre
• Enjoys working creatively with other people
• Good communication skills
• Organised and reliable
• Willing to learn and ask questions
• Able to work well as part of a team
• Interest in creating theatre for children and family audiences

You may have experience through university, community theatre, youth theatre, independent projects or your own creative practice. We welcome people from different artistic disciplines, creative backgrounds and levels of experience.

What you will gain

By the end of the placement you will have:

• Experience assisting on a professional theatre production.
• A better understanding of how a devised theatre production is created.
• Experience working with actors and a creative team.
• Support and mentoring from an experienced Director.
• Opportunities to develop your confidence and directing skills.
• New contacts within the theatre industry.
• Be a part of Good Chance’s Stage Door 11 programme cohort

A full job application including responsibilities and the person specification can be found on the Unity website via the apply button.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.