Call Out: Assistant Director for R&D Deadline 16 March 2026
Image from QUA - community project.
We’re looking for an Assistant Director to join our next Research & Development (R&D) in May 2026 in London on our upcoming production The First Year (of the Gaza Genocide in the Media).
We are looking for an Assistant Director with preference for artists from a MENA background and/or an experience of seeking asylum or displacement, who has an interest in political theatre. You are welcome to define these terms and your connection to them, and submit an application if you feel like you are the right candidate. We are especially looking forward to hearing from applicants with a MENA background or a connection to the themes of the show.
Dates of the R&D:
Monday 18 May - Friday 22 May 2026
Tuesday 26 May - Friday 29 May 2026
There will be meetings in April/May in advance of these two weeks which will be set in agreement around your availability.
Fee:
£1893
(2 in-person weeks and online/meetings flexible at £631 per week)*
*Please note - if you cannot receive payment for any reason, please still apply for the role, as we are experienced in working with people from a range of backgrounds and in a range of situations without jeopardising your status or working illegally.
About the show:
This is an R&D to develop an urgent interdisciplinary multimedia show examining media accountability by tracing how the first year of the genocide in Gaza (Oct 23–Oct 24) was covered by the mainstream media, exposing repeated misreporting, the circulation of false claims, use of misleading language, framing, omission, and repetition to shape public understanding and political consent, asking how misinformation becomes normalised, how truth is diluted, and what responsibility media institutions bear. The First Year is co-written by artists with lived experience or track record of engaging with the MENA community, and informed by interviews conducted with Palestinians in Gaza and in the diaspora.
There will be a cast of four, a musician, writers, director, movement director and designers in the room. This is a primarily MENA/Migrant team.
We provide bespoke safeguarding and wellbeing support which will be available to you before, during, and after the R&D.
About the role:
You will be supporting Director & co-Writer Sînziana Cojocărescu to run the creative process in London during the 2 weeks. This will include:
Leading/joining in warm-up games
Feeding in creative ideas in response to the work
Supporting creative exercises to respond to script/other prompts
Support the creative team in the room (actors, designers etc)
Attend production meetings and take notes
Liaise between team members and venue
You will gain an understanding of BÉZNĂ Theatre’s process, as well as generally a Research and Development process for new writing. You will receive bespoke career surgeries supported by our partners, training on Climate Dramaturgy, and as part of the interview process we will be asking if there are any specific skills you would like to develop/knowledge you would like to learn.
There is a potential to join the full production as an Assistant Director later in the year.
You need to be based in London/have the ability to commute.
Application process:
Please send no more than one page Cover Letter or a 5 minute video file including:
Introducing yourself, your experience and the type of work you have done.
How your skills and experience make you the right person for the role.
Your connection to or interest in the themes, whether you are from a MENA background and/or have an experience of seeking asylum or displacement.
If you speak/read Arabic (this is not a requirement, but is of interest to us)
A theatre production you have seen that has inspired you or changed your perspective in any way and detail how.
2. Attach a CV (no more than 2 pages).
3. Optionally, you can attach a link to a video of your work, we will only watch 2 minutes if it is a longer video.
We understand if you haven’t had working opportunities due to a range of factors, so you can include examples outside of theatre, we just ask you to explain the context.
Please send via email to contact@beznatheatre.org by Monday 16 March 11pm.
Please note that we will be working in English, so please submit all applications spoken/written in English. We understand that it may not be your first language, and are very understanding of that!
Timeline
Applications open: Monday 16 February
Deadline for applications: Monday 16 March 2026 11pm
Interviews: Monday 30 March - Online (you will be contacted no later than Thursday 26 March if successful)
In-person working: Monday 18 May - Friday 22 May & Tuesday 26 May - Friday 29 May.
You must be available for the whole of this duration in London.
If you have any questions, please email contact@beznatheatre.org.
Image from Rabdă! R&D.