Latest News Headlines

ABTT Research Production Training Pathways for Theatre Technicians

UK – The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) and The Centre for Performance and Technology and Equity (PTEQ) at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama are undertaking a research project assessing skills needed for junior and mid-career technical production roles across theatre and live performance.

The research aims to understand where training is needed to grow and retain talent. It explores existing training pathways, challenges to upskilling and opportunities to develop the technical workforce.

The project will also analyse how the wider theatre ecology is impacting training and how new technologies are changing the current training infrastructure for theatre technicians.

To support the research, ABTT and Royal Central are inviting industry practitioners, venues and employers of production and performance technicians to complete an online survey. The survey takes approximately ten to 15 minutes to complete and aims to gather insight from across the sector.

By contributing to the survey, respondents will help identify gaps in current training provision and build a clearer understanding of the skills needed to support future technicians entering and progressing within the industry.

“The strength of our industry depends on the people working behind the scenes. Understanding where skills gaps exist, how technicians are trained and how those pathways are evolving is essential if we want theatre and live events to remain world leading. This research will help build a clearer picture of the training needs across our sector and support the development of the next generation of technical professionals,” stated Liz Sillett, ABTT CEO.

The findings will be presented at the ABTT Theatre Show in June 2026 and published in an open-access report in Autumn 2026, helping build a clearer understanding of training needs across the sector.

ABTT encourages professionals across the industry to complete the survey and share it with colleagues and organisations working within theatre and live performance.

Complete the survey here.

13th March 2026

© 1999 - 2026 ET Press Ltd News Stories