Stagecoach Blog

Many people feel right at home on stage or behind a camera or microphone but whether you love performing in your free time or not, a career as a performer might not be where you see yourself in the future. However, that doesn’t mean a career in the performing arts or theatre isn’t for you. The industry is as vast and varied as any other and there are plenty of performing arts and theatre jobs that utilise all kinds of skill sets.  
 

Our Stagecoach classes focus on three key areas of performance; singing, dancing and acting. However, if your child does not see themselves as a performer professionally, there are other career paths in the world of theatre for them to explore.

 

When it comes to theatre shows, there will be a creative team that writes the show. For musical theatre, this consists of a composer, lyricist and book writer (the musical theatre equivalent of a playwright). These three roles can be filled by multiple people, or one person undertaking all three roles.  
 

Other creatives include those responsible for the look and feel of the stage and performance. These sorts of theatre roles include designing the set, sound, lighting, costumes, props, hair and makeup. A choreographer will devise dance routines and the director ties everything together. 

 

In order to get the production up and running the show needs producers. Then, there is a whole team that gets the show ready for opening night and keeps it running from that point on. These roles include artistic directors, production managers, casting directors, company managers, stage managers, sound and lighting technicians, wardrobe, wig makers, carpenters, electricians, stage crew and fly operators. 
 

Some shows require specialised roles such as fight directors, automation technicians and puppet makers. Plus, if the show is touring, there will also be a tour manager as well.
 

It doesn’t stop there though as we haven’t even touched on the conductor and orchestra, but very few musicals run without them! 
 

There are also roles in theatre that involve work directly with the public and keeping the venues themselves running. These roles include the venue manager, front of house staff, ushers and the team at the box office. 

 

Away from the venues, there are jobs in the performing arts that take place in offices. They are the kind of roles you see in many industries as theatre is ultimately a business (even if there truly is no business like show business!). These office-based roles include administration, marketing, public relations (PR), finance, licensing, legal, ticketing, operations, hospitality and IT. 

When it comes to music, there are many roles to choose from that could suit non-performers such as musicians, music producers, songwriters, DJs, recording engineers and more. Much like the theatre industry, there are backstage roles to support live performances; for example venue management and staging. If you haven’t completely ruled out performing but you know you don’t want to be centre stage, you could consider becoming a backing singer or a dancer instead. 

 

There is quite a lot of overlap between the theatre, film and TV industries when it comes to the roles available. However, there are a few specifically linked to the world of the small and silver screens. You could be an editor, director of photography, runner, location manager, animator, presenter, or train up to be part of a special effects team or camera crew. Some roles are useful in theatre but they require quite a different set of skills when working in film and TV, for example, the roles of writers, directors and producers can vary greatly depending on the medium they’re working in. 

 

From the stage to the studio to the classroom, if you prefer inspiring the next generation to performing yourself, you can become a performing arts teacher (including drama, singing and dance teachers) or a Stagecoach Principal. Alternatively, you could support performers and identify the stars of tomorrow as a talent agent. Plus, when shows and productions feature a younger cast they often require chaperones. 

 

We hope this whistle-stop tour through a whole bunch of performing arts careers for non-performers gives you some options on what to pursue. If you need more guidance or, want to know more about any of these roles, the Prospects.ac.uk site is a great resource for career information.