Get involved in arts, culture and heritage in Reading

There are lots of ways to get involved with arts, culture and heritage here in Reading. And we'll do our best to gether all the opportunities for that in one place!

Whether you want to join a choir, audition for a play, volunteer at an event or venue or find some other way to be part of Reading's arts and cultural scene, you'll find it here on this page.

actress looking out on stage

Auditions

Ever wanted to take to the stage here in Reading? We'll gather up all the open audition info we can from local theatres and performing troupes in Reading and share them on this page. And maybe you'll get your shot in the spotlight!

conductor's baton

Join a choir

Reading is home to a multitude of choirs, all filling their own unique niche in the choral community - and they're always on the lookout for new voices to join them. 

woodland walking tour

Volunteering

Current volunteering opportunities, from one-off projects to those organisations that are always happy to sign-up new volunteers. Supported by our friends at Reading Voluntary Action.

artisan bread market

Paid roles

Our list of current paid vacancies in the arts, culture and heritage sector in and around the Reading area. 

vintage microphone

Open Mic nights

Looking for a chance to get up on stage? There are plenty of open mic nights in Reading where performers of all kinds - and abilities - can get to sing a song, read a poem, tell a joke... Or two! 

Jelly launches new community art project: All Roads - Migration Stories

Jelly launches new community art project: All Roads - Migration Stories

Jelly has been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to record and celebrate women's stories of migration to Reading in a community art project: All Roads - Migration Stories

The project aims to secure these stories for future generations of the community to learn from in the form of oral histories and textile art. They are asking women to share the textiles and textile skills that they brought with them when they travelled, to explore the crossovers of cultural making techniques with shared practice.  

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Hickies

Hickies celebrates 160 years with song competition

Hickies Music is marking its 160th year in business in September, and to celebrate, it is offering the chance to win £500 to an aspiring musician in a song competition, in partnership with Connect Reading.

The competition will be open to students aged 12-16 living in Reading, who will be invited to submit an original song.

The submissions should be themed around growing up, but can be of any genre and of a length between two and six minutes.

Finalists will be selected by a panel of judges to perform live at an event at Hickies, set for November, with the chosen winner taking home a £500 voucher.

The prize was donated by a Connect Reading supporter and follows its mission to foster a “thriving and connected” community as well as nurture music in Reading’s youngsters.

The competition opens on Sunday, September 1, and closes on Tuesday, October 1.

Submissions can be made via Facebook or Instagram by tagging @connectrdg and @hickiesmusic

Want to try something new?

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