We were asked at our first freelancer check-in for a quick list of suggestions for upskilling ourselves during this… lull in activities, shall we say? We appreciate that people may have other priorities right now, especially freelancers, but here’s a quick list of interesting free CPD we could find that might be of interest for youth theatre practitioners, those running companies etc, that you can dip in and out of, if you’re interested.

You should also check out the i-develop service (part of the CLD Standards Council for Scotland), which aims to support creative and innovative learning and development for Community Learning and Development practitioners.

Some of the things in our list below will be in your comfort zone, some things perhaps not, but might be a nice new skill to learn (we’re definitely not suggesting that you should know all of this either…!). So, we’ve broken them down into providers rather than topic areas, because who knows what might spark an idea?

Check the main headers too – there are HUNDREDS of other courses! This is just our quick list of ‘Ah-Ha! That Sounds Interesting’ things…

If we’ve missed anything awesome, please let us know.

Open Learn from the Open University

• Introduction to Music Theory
• Reading Shakespeare’s As You Like It
• What is good writing?
• Business communication: Writing a SWOT Analysis
• Business Organisations and their Environments: Culture
• Developing Career Resilience
• Fundamentals of Accounting
• Making Creativity and Innovation Happen
• Marketing Communications as a Strategic Function
• Personal Branding for Career Success
• Gaelic in Modern Scotland
• Writing What You Know
• Sustainable Scotland
• The Role of Play in Children’s Learning
• Take Your Teaching Online
• Youth Work: Introducing Policy
• Working with Young People: Roles and Responsibilities

Future Learn

• Understanding Autism
• An Introduction to Screenwriting
• Effective Fundraising and Leadership in Arts and Culture
• Physical Theatre: Exploring the Slap
• The Power of Podcasting for Storytelling
• From Notation to Performance: Understanding Musical Scores
• A Picture of Youth: An Introduction to Children’s Visual Culture
• Exploring English: Shakespeare
• Exploring Culture and Heritage
• Collaborative Working in a Remote Team
• Create a Professional Online Presence
• How to Succeed at Interviews
• Marketing Analytics
• Understanding Diversity and Inclusion
• Managing Public Money
• Understanding the GDPR

Skillshare

• Graphic Design Basics
• Demystifying Graphic Design: How Posters Work
• How to Vlog: Complete Beginners Guide
• Storytelling Basics: How Creatives and Brands Can Build a Following

Others

• Anti-Bullying Alliance CPD Course
• Odd Eyes Theatre: Creative Debate Techniques
• Arts Marketing Association: Connecting With your Audience in Tough Times
• National Arts Fundraising School: Putting the Science Into Arts Fundraising
• Arts Marketing Association: Encouraging Your Audience to Try New Things
• Arts Marketing Association: Social Media Analytics
• University of the Highlands and Islands: MA Art and Social Practice