The National Theatre (NT) is creating a new engineering apprenticeship to help develop the next generation of building services professionals as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its landmark South Bank home.
The Sir Denys Lasdun Mechanical & Electrical Apprenticeship, named after the theatre’s architect, will provide hands-on training in the engineering skills needed to maintain the Grade II-listed building and its complex technical infrastructure.
The apprenticeship forms part of the NT’s wider skills programme, delivered through its National Theatre Skills Centre in partnership with Bank of America. The centre supports almost 6,000 people across the UK each year through training and career development initiatives designed to preserve specialist technical and craft skills.
The announcement coincides with the launch of Stories Start Here: 50 Stories for 50 Years, a free public installation celebrating the theatre’s history and the people who have shaped it since opening in 1976.
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The new Sir Denys Lasdun Apprenticeship is a really exciting way to mark this milestone, and will support our driving mission to make exceptional careers in the arts accessible to everyone.”
Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, added: “It’s fitting that this milestone is being marked by investing in the next generation through new apprenticeships. This new programme will help aspiring theatre makers, craftspeople and technicians develop the skills they need to keep London’s world-leading creative industries thriving for decades to come.”
The National Theatre’s 250,000 sq ft building, designed by Denys Lasdun and constructed between 1969 and 1976, houses three auditoriums alongside workshops, rehearsal spaces and production facilities. Maintaining the complex building requires specialist engineering expertise as the theatre continues to modernise its ageing infrastructure.
The anniversary celebrations are supported by engineering consultancy Arup and contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, both of which were involved in constructing the National Theatre 50 years ago.
Kate Varah, executive director and co-chief executive of the National Theatre, said protecting the building was about more than preserving an architectural landmark.
“It’s about protecting the creative home of a national institution whose work generates £241m in Gross Value Added for the UK economy every year,” she said.
