The Apprentice Scheme for New Producers run by the charity Stage One, which was previously focused on developing and supporting producers for commercial theatre, is extending its scheme into the subsidised sector. A grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation will enable three candidates to spend six months working in the commercial sector, then a further six months in the subsidised sector with host companies such as the Royal Court Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Paines Plough, Headlong and Arcola Theatre. A focus of the scheme will be the commercial transfer of work, and the initiative aims to develop individuals with entrepreneurial flair who will ultimately work across both sectors. Stage One has also been announced as the adopted charity for the 2012 Whatsonstage.com Awards. To coincide with this, Whatsonstage.com is also launching the ‘Year of the Producer’, comprising a 12-month editorial series of interviews, blogs and other features to give theatregoers a greater understanding of the role of the producer and the pressures they face.