Artists and Creatives

Cast's Artist Co-op is a free newsletter for local artists, creatives and theatre makers.

This regular newsletter will offer:

• Creative Spotlights - Showcasing a local artist, company or creative and their recent work, updates or exhibitions.
• Coming up at Cast - Workshops, job vacancies, free events, networking, shows you might like and exclusive ticket offers.
• Opportunities in the North - Events, jobs and workshops happening in Doncaster and the surrounding areas.

Sign up to the newsletter using the form at the bottom of the Artist Co-op page.

We're working in partnership with Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy, funded by Arts Council England, to deliver artist surgeries and fundraising support events for local artists, giving them the knowledge and skills to diversify their income and secure sustainable funding. 

From September 2026, on the first Thursday of every month we'll be hosting a drop-in for local artists, creatives and theatre makers to come for a half-hour chat with a member of the Cast team. 

Whether it's fundraising, marketing or production advice – we're here to help. Each month different members of the team, with different specialisms, will be available. 

The sessions are free and are offered on a first-come-first-served basis each month. More info below.

To book, email our Head of Creative Programme at sylvia@castindoncaster.com.

https://artsfundraising.org.uk/ 

Are you an artist or producer looking to make connections with fellow artists and industry professionals? 

Cast invites you for an evening of conversation, artist community building and informal performances as we trial a new model of open forum. 

Click here to check out our upcoming Artist Social event.

We offer in-kind space to local artists looking to try out ideas, develop or rehearse work. 

We can offer our Dance Space, Drama Space or Meeting Space, depending on availability. We can give feedback at end of week, invite industry contracts to see the work, and offer advice about next steps and funding applications. 

Please email sylvia@castindoncaster.com if you have an idea or project in development. 

A programme that offers support to selected artists and/or companies over a number of years.

They receive extended mentoring, support and opportunities to perform at Cast. We also offer them company and strategic development advice, as well as advocating for them at local, regional and national levels, where possible. 

Our current Associate Artists are Mad Friday Productions. They're a dynamic, women-led company founded by Doncaster-born childhood friends Danielle Phillips and Lauren Yvonne Townsend. Known for championing bold ideas from Northern, working-class and neurodiverse artists, Mad Friday made waves with their sold-out debut show Children of the Night (2023), which was revamped and re-staged for a 2026 UK tour, receiving 5-star reviews from Adventures in Theatreland, Unmissable Theatre, Musical Theatre Review, LondonTheatre1 and many more. Mad Friday's work has helped cement Doncaster’s place on the national cultural map.

Be the first to know when we're looking for our next Associate Artist by signing upto our Artist Co-op newsletter. 

If you’re interested in bringing a show to our Main Space or Second Space, please email Cast's Head of Creative Programme, Sylvia Kluczewski, with your programming submissions to programming@castindoncaster.com. 

Thursday 03 September

Are you an artist based in Doncaster looking to bring your project to life? Join us for a free one-to-one session with Cast's Development team and get practical, tailored support to strengthen your funding applications.

Whether you're just starting out or already mid-application, we can help you navigate the funding landscape with confidence.

We can help you with:

• Identifying the right grants and funding opportunities for your project
• Reviewing draft applications and sharpening your case for support
• Articulating your project's impact in language that resonates with funders
• Building a realistic budget and figuring out exactly how much money you need to ask for.
• Feeling more confident about approaching a range of funders from individual donors to local businesses

Thursday 03 October

Covering various aspects of marketing an event at Cast, from social media to targeted emails, audience development strategies to press coverage. 

We’ll discuss what level of marketing support a show could access from a theatre such as Cast and how to work collaboratively on a campaign to achieve the best results. 

Potential topics:

• Cast Marketing Pack for Visiting Companies
• The importance of clear and accurate event copy, promotional assets and branding
• On-sale schedules and timelines
• Budgets
• Planning a marketing campaign
• Press releases
• Discounts, early booking incentives
• Audience development

Thursday 05 November

A session with James Blakey, Director of Cast, and Sylvia Kluczewski, Head of Creative Programme, to discuss new ideas and project development.