Human resources

A former student of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School says she was "overworked" when she sewed through both her hands.

Stephanie Drogemuller's accident occurred in 2014, and the school says it will investigate if she makes contact.

Drogemuller said she was working hard for the Christmas season and "was so exhausted the needle went through both of my hands on the sewing machine".

She was asked by a school staff member whether it had happened because of her dyslexia.

"I felt like she was phishing for me to say yes, as a sort of easy answer," Drogemuller told the BBC.

School CEO Fiona Francombe said: "We are concerned to hear these reports".

"We take our duty of care towards students extremely seriously and have a robust series of policies and services in place, that we regularly review and update, to support student wellbeing.

"Our courses need to prepare students for professions that can be both physically and mentally demanding, but our priority is to achieve this whilst ensuring their safety and wellbeing."

Northern Ireland’s creative industries are set to benefit from a share of a £10m jobs and skills fund.

The Covid Recovery Programme Employment & Skills Initiative will support community services, including arts, heritage and creative industries, in their recovery from Covid-19.

The three-year commitment is the first multi-year investment into these industries' recovery in Northern Ireland and a direct response to the Culture, Arts and Heritage Recovery Taskforce Report commissioned by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey.

Hargey said the initiative will fund new entry level jobs and increase the capacity of existing staff.

“This should bolster organisations to better survive and thrive post pandemic,and therefore help stabilise these sectors to continue to deliver their services for the public good.”

Disappointment was "inevitable" when the English Touring Opera (ETO) diversified its orchestra, its management says.

The organisation has offered a belated response to criticism from the Musicians' Union (MU) over its decision to cut 13 of its long-contracted freelance musicians in September.

ETO says open auditions were held for the first time in many years because the orchestra was exclusively made up of people who played on previous seasons or were recommended by them.

"We also felt that this would help us to progress our ambitions in the fields of equality, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace," a statement released on Wednesday (December 8) reads.

44 musicians were auditioned out of 266 applicants and selections were "based solely on those musicians’ capabilities, on the grounds of excellence only".

"With so many high-quality players in the pool it was inevitable that some would be disappointed," ETO said.

It plans to repeat the process next summer: "In advance of that, we plan to consult widely with other performing companies, and relevant industry organisations, including the MU, so that we can provide further reassurance of equal and fair treatment."

Donmar Warehouse plans to recruit 13 paid trainees under a new career development programme.

Catalyst trainees will work in either creative or administrative roles. Special focus will be given to talent currently underrepresented in the industry, such as working class and D/deaf and disabled artists.

Trainees will be mentored by leading creatives and members of the Donmar Warehouse team.

Director Nadia Latif said most theatre artists understand the importance of opening access to people "who look like us or share our backgrounds".

"Theatre making should be transparent, accessible, and our rehearsal rooms should bustle with a multitude of people with totally different life experiences feeding each other creatively and taking care of one another."