skip to main content

Professional Development Opportunities in Yorkshire with PiPA

Parents in Performing Arts (PiPA) is offering a series of professional development placements and opportunities at renowned performing arts organisations for marginalised parents or carers based in Yorkshire.

Published: 25 April 2022 | 5:51 PM
Close up of a corner of Sheffield City Hall, a big white stone building.
Each placement or opportunity will take into consideration the successful applicant’s career goals, access needs and circumstances. Photo credit: Shutterstock

These opportunities are exclusively open to Yorkshire-based parents or carers in the performing arts who are freelancers, on short contracts or not currently in work, and who are further marginalised due to their ethnicity, cultural heritage or disability.

Each placement or opportunity will take into consideration the successful applicant’s career goals, access needs and circumstances. A participation fee of up to £744.40 is available, and the opportunities will take place between April and July 2022.

The Professional Development Placements will be hosted at PiPA Partner organisations across Yorkshire. There are 14 organisations participating, including:

  • Balbir Singh Dance Company
  • Migration Matters Festival
  • Utopia Theatre
  • Tutti-Frutti Productions

(see the Application Pack on PiPA’s website for the full list of participating organisations).

The placements cover a variety of disciplines, including marketing, project management, touring management, producing and directing.

There are specific professional development placements you can apply for, or you can apply to be part of the project more generally. If you choose the second option, you would be matched up with appropriate participating organisations or opportunities once enrolled in the project.

Please note that due to funding requirements, to participate in this project you must be a parent or carer AND belong to a group which is under-represented due to ethnicity, cultural heritage or disability.

Deadline to Apply: Tuesday 3rd May, 10:00 am.

For more information and to submit your application, visit PiPA’s website.

Get MU membership today

From gig players to part-time teachers and professional instrumentalists, MU members can access specialist insurance for musicians. This includes Public Liability, Instrument and Equipment Insurance, Accident Insurance, Tax Investigation Insurance, and Professional Indemnity Insurance for music teachers.

Explore our member services

  • Get public liability insurance for musicians
  • Access expert legal support
  • Be represented in your profession
  • Access expert career advice, resources, and training events
  • Connect, network, and get to know the community of musicians

Learn about all membership benefits

Get MU membership today

Continue reading

MU delegates and members of our sister creative unions on the steps of Caird Hall.

MU Delegates Champion Fair Work, Cultural Rights and Island Connectivity at STUC Congress 2026

Last week we attended the annual Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) with MU delegates who supported a range of topics including Fair Work for freelancers, music as a human right, international solidarity and why ferries serving the Scottish islands are vital to cultural workers and the economy.

Published: 28 April 2026

Read more about MU Delegates Champion Fair Work, Cultural Rights and Island Connectivity at STUC Congress 2026
Charlene, Sinead and three members who attended the meeting.

MU Belfast Meeting Highlights Impact of City Parking Costs on Musicians

MU members met this week for an open discussion on working life in Belfast, highlighting how rising parking costs, limited access to venues and late-night working conditions are placing increasing pressure on musicians and undermining its UNESCO City of Music status.

Published: 23 April 2026

Read more about MU Belfast Meeting Highlights Impact of City Parking Costs on Musicians
Shot of a large crowd at a small, grassroots music concert. The band on stage are in silhouette against purple, blue and orange lights.

UK Artist Touring Fund Announces First Phase Artists

The UK Artist Touring Fund (UKAT), supported by the MU and funded by the LIVE Trust, has awarded its first wave of grants to 26 artists across 211 gigs, helping deliver fair pay and access in the grassroots live sector.

Published: 23 April 2026

Read more about UK Artist Touring Fund Announces First Phase Artists