Jan – Feb 2026

This application pack includes:

• Welcome letter from the team
• About imitating the dog
• Job description
• Person specification
• imitating the dog’s commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Equal opportunities monitoring form
• How to apply and key dates

This application pack is available in audio and large print versions upon request.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the role before you apply, please email Creative Engagement Manager Ben Mellor at ben@imitatingthedog.co.uk to arrange an informal conversation.

Hello and thank you for your interest in the ITD Internship 2026, an opportunity for an early-career or emerging professional from an underrepresented background based in the North of England.

We are excited to be offering this internship. We feel that it’s become harder than ever to be an emerging or early-career professional in the arts industry, and that many without the networks that come from experience, and sometimes privilege, have really been struggling to start or stay working in this sector.

imitating the dog prides itself on offering formal and informal opportunities for developing artists to observe and learn from our creative production processes. But we are aware that we need to do more to make these opportunities available to people beyond the usual routes and channels, and reach those who have for too long been underrepresented in the industry.

We hope that in offering this internship, and other development opportunities,we are playing our part in helping to forge a better, more inclusive, more diverse, and ultimately happier and artistically excellent arts sector. We are still learning about how to do this effectively however, so if there is anything we are missing in making these sorts of offers more accessible and appealing to all, please let us know.

We sincerely look forward to reading all of your applications and speaking to those we invite to interview.

The imitating the dog team. 

About imitating the dog

Who we are

imitating the dog (ITD) have been creating and touring original and ground-breaking performance work for theatres and other spaces since 1998.

Pete Brooks (director), Andrew Quick (writer) and Simon Wainwright (video design) are our Artistic Directors, and their creative work has built a company with a popular and critical reputation in the UK, Europe and internationally.

imitating the dog is a National Portfolio Organisation.

What we do

Our work at ITD has been seen on stages (and screens) across the world, and we have made installations for outdoor festivals and events, seen by hundreds of thousands of people.

We’re recognised for our originality, our exploration of screen and projection technologies in live performance, accessible site responsive work and collaborations with artists and organisations.

We like to challenge audiences to see things from a new perspective – stories, theatre, the world around them. You can get a flavour of this in our Showreel.

Creative Learning is also at the heart of what we do. We enjoy testing and sharing creative processes and tech knowledge with students, practitioners and community groups through programmes, projects and toolkits – online, in schools, in venues, wherever. 

Working with Others

We have created shows and pieces with Leeds Playhouse, National Theatre of Greece, Oldham Coliseum, Raisin and Willow, The Singapore Repertory Theatre, the Georgian National Theatre, The Dukes Lancaster, Marche Teatro, Italy and Pinwheel.

In 2022, our creative team worked alongside Parisian haute couture house Maison Margiela, and their creative director John Galliano, to create Cinema Inferno – a unique staging of their Artisanal Collection 2022 at Paris Haute Couture Week. The work was considered a ground-breaking hybrid of fashion and theatre.

Our most recent works include our 2025 theatre tour All Blood Runs Red, live performance and drone show All Change, commissioned by S&DR200 Festival in March 2025, and

Otherham, a trail of projection installations in Rotherham, inspired by the imaginations of the town’s young residents and created in collaboration with Flux Rotherham, Children’s Capital of Culture, RMBC Events and Grimm & Co.

Job Specification

The ITD Internship is a development opportunity for a person from an underrepresented background to work as a design & production assistant on imitating the dog’s new adaptation of War of the Worlds, supported by Lancaster Arts and Cast, Doncaster.

Who will you be working with?

You will be working alongside a variety of people throughout the internship, but you will most often work with:

• imitating the dog Artistic Directors, Andrew Quick, Pete Brooks and Simon Wainwright
• The cast of War of the Worlds
• Abby Clarke, the Designer on War of the Worlds
• The technical creative team working on War of the Worlds
• Lancaster University and Cast, Doncaster staff working on the production

What will you do while working with imitating the dog during the internship?

Your main roles and responsibilities as a Design & Production Assistant will include:

• Working closely with the Designer, Artistic Directors and the rest of the creative and production team
• Designing and making props and model elements for the production, under the guidance of the Designer
• Undertaking running duties where appropriate, including going out to source or buy props and costumes
• Undertaking some stage management duties
• As needed, assisting the Directors in running rehearsals
• Where appropriate, assisting the technical team
• Attending weekly production meetings
• Assisting the stage manager as required
• Having a positive and responsible attitude to health and safety
• Taking responsibility for your own attendance, safe working practices, motivations, discipline and welfare

What is involved?

• You will be based in Lancaster and Doncaster during the rehearsal period of the internship. Reasonable travel expenses will be provided and accommodation will be provided if required.
• You will attend rehearsals of ITD’s production of War of the Worlds.
• You will work across many areas to assist the production of War of the Worlds.
• As part of the internship you will have opportunities to experience and contribute to imitating the dog’s rehearsal process.
• You will be supported throughout your internship by Andrew Quick, ITD Co-Artistic Director, Abby Clarke, War of the Worlds Designer and Ben Mellor, ITD Creative Engagement Manager.

Dates, Fees & Expenses

This is a full-time position for the duration of rehearsals, beginning on Mon 5th Jan and ending on Saturday 7th Feb (five weeks).

The role is paid at the Real Living Wage rate of £473 per week, for a 37.5 hour week. For this engagement of five weeks the total fee will therefore be £2363, plus expenses.

If you need to travel to fulfil the role, ITD will cover the costs of your travel, and the cost of accommodation in Lancaster and Doncaster if you need to stay away from home, as well as per diems for days worked away from home.

Person Specification

This opportunity is for an early-career or emerging arts professional based in the North of England, from an underrepresented background. We define ‘early-career’ as in the first 5 years of your professional practice, and ‘North’ using Arts Council England’s boundaries which can be found here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/document/map-our-area-boundaries

By ‘underrepresented’ we mean a person who has been inadequately or insufficiently represented in, or supported by, the UK arts sector. This may be because of barriers arising from, but not limited to, mental health issues, physical health/disability, sensory impairment, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, substance misuse, survivors, people from low socio-economic backgrounds, people from the LGBTQIA+ community, and people from Black, Asian, traveller, mixed heritage or other global majority backgrounds.

Minimum essential requirements

• You must be 18 years or older on the 1st of November 2025
• You must have work authorisation for the UK
• There is a requirement to work flexibly which will include early mornings, evenings and weekends
• Be fully available for all five weeks, including some Saturdays

Desirable skills and experience – What are we looking for in this internship?

• Experience of working in theatre – this could include unpaid or voluntary placements, or experience in making theatre while studying
• Previous experience of at least one of the following: production assistance, stage management, prop making, supporting set and costume design
• Good at working in a team
• A practical approach to problem-solving
• Ability to work independently
• Punctual and good at managing your own schedule
• Respectful and receptive approach to all health and safety requirements
• Self-motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge
• A helpful, positive and proactive approach

imitating the dog’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

imitating the dog is committed to equality of opportunity, which is why this opportunity is specifically aimed at individuals who are underrepresented in the arts sector.             

To support Disabled candidates and those from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds in applying for this internship we are committed to ensuring that:

• Audio and large print versions of all recruitment documents are available on request
• At least one member of the interview panel will be of Black, Asian or ethnically diverse heritage
• Interview questions will be emailed to those invited to interview at least 48 hours prior to their interview time
• Candidates who attend an interview will then be offered the opportunity to meet a
  team member and gain insight into the organisation, as well as a chance to ask questions outside of the interview

How to apply

Please send us a CV and short cover statement (no more than one side of A4) expressing why you would like to work with ITD and what makes you suitable for the role, including a brief explanation of how you meet the criteria of under-representation.

We welcome applications in any format. This could be in written form, a short video or audio recording, or any other format that is best for you. If your application is in written form, please keep your statement to under one page. If your application is in video or audio form please keep it to under five minutes total.

Please also fill in this (optional) Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.

All applications must be sent to ben@imitatingthedog.co.uk, with ITD Internship Application in the subject line and your contact information visible somewhere within your application. If you have any questions about the project or the application process, please email ben@imitatingthedog.co.uk.

Key Dates

Applications close on Friday 31st October at 5pm.

Applicants shortlisted for interview will be notified no later than 5pm on Wednesday 5th November.

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 12th November. Interviews will be conducted online.