PROPEL is our paid work placement programme for early-career creatives working in live performance and events.
PROPEL has connected emerging talent with top festivals, theatres, and performance companies across the North for over two years. For 2025, we’ve partnered with some exciting new hosts in Bradford and West Yorkshire to offer hands-on paid work placements.
We’re excited to have partnered with The Javaad Alipoor Company and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture to offer an early-career Bradford creative an 8-week placement working as an Assistant Director in 2025.
To see the full range of placements available through this programme, head to our main PROPEL page.
Who is it for?
Early-career Theatre Directors from Bradford
When is it?
8-week placement from
March - November 2025
Where is it?
Manchester and Bradford City Centre
Apply by
Monday 10 March 2025 at 11 PM
Book your place at our online info session
Book your place at our online information session on Monday 3 March 2025 at 12 PM to learn more about this placement, what it involves, and how to apply. If you can’t attend the live time, you can book to receive a recording after the session.
If this session has passed and you have any questions about the placement, please email us at hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
About the placement host
Based in Manchester, The Javaad Alipoor Company (TJAC) makes urgent, state-of-the-world theatre for a changing world and a global audience – turning mind-bending ideas into groundbreaking productions.
TJAC was founded in 2017 by writer, director and artist, Javaad Alipoor. Growing out of his experience running community theatre projects in Bradford, it evolved into an innovative production company that works with interlocutors worldwide. Over the past six years, under Javaad’s artistic direction, TJAC has grown to develop a signature brand of theatre that explores the complexities and contradictions of the 21st century informed by its manifesto, with a global outlook.
This placement is on their upcoming production, Elmet.
Elmet
An epic northern noir.
Created for Bradford 2025 and based on the 2017 Booker Prize-shortlisted novel by Fiona Mozley, Elmet is an explosive story of family, revenge and the ultimate price of holding on to your dignity – set in the wilds of the West Riding.
Cathy, Daniel and Daddy are a family living apart from the world on a land “made of myths”. But now, a great reckoning is coming, led by an all-powerful landowner and his henchman – and it threatens to smash the foundations of everything they’ve built together.
Elmet is conceived and directed by founding Artistic Director, Javaad Alipoor, who grew up in Bradford.
What will I get out of the placement?
Through this placement, you will:
- Be paid £700 per week for 8 weeks (working 5 days per week) – see placement dates below
- Gain hands-on experience working with professional teams to deliver high-quality events
- Have access to additional support and mentoring through Bradford Producing Hub
About the placement
This placement offers the opportunity to work directly with award-winning Theatre Director, Javaad Alipoor.
Javaad Alipoor, the Founding Artistic Director of The Javaad Alipoor Company, is a British-Iranian writer, director, and performer. Two-time winner of the Edinburgh Fringe First Award, his productions have sold out to audiences at major venues around the world. Javaad Alipoor is a published playwright and poet and his writing about politics and culture has been featured in The Guardian, The Independent and The Stage.
Working alongside Director Javaad Alipoor, key creatives, and performers, the Assistant Director will:
- Assist the director in rehearsals by taking notes, tracking script edits, leading warm-ups, and stepping in to direct performers when needed.
- Ensure creative decisions are effectively communicated across the team and contribute to production meetings.
- Support technical and dress rehearsals by cueing performers, tracking changes, and troubleshooting issues.
- Conduct research to support the production and help document the rehearsal processes required.
- Undertakes any other administrative tasks or duties as required by the Director.
The Javaad Alipoor Company has a small core team of 5 staff. You will be part of the Elmet Creative Team and will work with a company of around 8 performers.
- Weeks commencing 31 March and 7 April 2025 (2 weeks)
5 days per week (10 days)
R&D period
- Weeks commencing 8 September to 12 October (5 weeks)
5 days per week (25 days)
Rehearsal period
- Week commencing 13 October (1 Week)
5 days per week (5 days)
Tech Week
We are happy to be flexible to accommodate the needs of the candidate and look at slightly fewer days, if their availability means they can’t do some of the above.
The R&D period is expected to take place in central Manchester. The Tech Week will take place in Bradford City Centre at Bradford 2025’s temporary performance venue, Loading Bay.
The rehearsal weeks may take place in both Manchester and Bradford and will be confirmed on your offer of a placement.
You are eligible for the PROPEL work placement programme if:
- You have a demonstrable connection to Bradford
- You will be 18 years old or over when the placement starts
- You are committed to pursuing a career in Theatre Direction
- You have some previous experience as an assistant director or director
- You have experience working with a professional cast and/or musicians
- You have good organisational and administrative skills
- You can fully commit to this opportunity and are available for the key dates listed on the host page
(If you can do the majority but there are a couple of dates that you can’t do, please let us know in your application as there may be some flexibility in these cases)
If you wish, you can apply for a placement with multiple organisations but you will only be selected for and offered a place with one. Please be aware that the individual placements will be recruiting at different times.
To make your application, please complete the online application form linked below. You are required to upload a copy of your CV to the application form so please have this ready beforehand. To help you prepare your application in advance, you can see the application questions in the next section.
If you require any access support for this application process, please email us at hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
The selection process is as follows:
- If your application is shortlisted, you will be interviewed by the host organisation and BPH together – the interview will last no more than 60 minutes and we will keep this as relaxed as possible
- If you are offered a placement, you’ll have a kick-off meeting with BPH and the host organisation to confirm dates and the placement details
- BPH will issue you with a freelance contract and confirm how and when your fee will be paid
- The host organisation will contact you to arrange the welcome and induction process
If you have any questions about this placement opportunity, please email us at hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
To help you prepare your application in advance, the questions in the application form are as follows:
Please note that you will need to upload a copy of your CV at the end of the form
- What is your full postcode?
I.e. BD1 3HT - What is your connection to Bradford?
- Please tell us about any support or access needs we need to consider when communicating with you and for you to be able to undertake this placement.
You will also be able to upload an access rider if you have one - For monitoring purposes, we’d like to know a little about your background.
Please state below how you self-identify, in as many of the following areas as you feel comfortable with: age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class and education level etc.
Optional - Please tell us any dates listed in the call-out that you cannot do or any other details about your availability.
- Are you available for the advertised interview date?
- Have you completed any producer or production management training with Bradford Producing Hub?
This is not essential for this placement, just handy for us to know. - What was the name of the training and when did you complete it?
Rough months and years are fine. - Tell us a bit about you and your professional experience and training
Around 2-3 paragraphs is fine - What attracted you to this placement and in what ways do you think it will benefit you? Why is this the right time for you?
Around 1-2 paragraphs is fine - What do you think you would bring to the role?
This could be things like your experience, skills, passion, ideas or general attitude and approach to work. Please give examples of when you have demonstrated this experience. - Do you have any links you would like to share with us, such as to your website, LinkedIn, or examples of your work or projects you have been involved in?
Don’t worry if not, this isn’t required. - Is there anything else you want to tell us to support your application?
- Please upload a copy of your CV
Please don’t worry too much about how your CV is formatted, a clear list of experience, dates and associated skills is all we’re after here
You will have a senior contact at your host organisation who will provide support and supervise you during your placement. You will also have regular support and check-ins from BPH who can provide independent guidance and mentoring.
Ready to apply?
Applications close on Monday 10 March 2025 at 11 PM.
Interviews will take place on Wednesday 19 March 2025 in Bradford city centre – so please pencil this date in your diary once you have applied.
Please ensure you have read all of the information on this page, including the FAQs below before applying.
If you have any questions, or you need to complete your application another way, please email us at hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk.
FAQs
You will be paid a freelance fee of £700 per week (working 5 days per week) for 8 weeks between March and November 2025.
You will have a freelance contract with Bradford Producing Hub and we will arrange to pay you the fee. You will be responsible for paying any tax or National Insurance due as part of it. (If you are new to freelancing we can help you understand this).
Yes, we can provide support to meet your access needs and there is budget available towards travel, as well as for accommodation if occasional overnights are required.
There will be an online information session (date above) where the host organisations will talk about what they do and their placement.
However, you should also do your own research about them through looking at their websites and social media feeds to familiarise yourself.
Yes, but you will only be offered one place. If you apply for multiple, we will make a decision on what we think would be the best fit. Please be aware however, that there are staggered application dates for some placements. If you have already been offered a placement with another host, we would expect you to commit to your original placement offer.
Yes, please get in touch with us so we can support you at last 1 week before the closing date – hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
