Developing a Theatre Practitioner Professional Development Framework for Lagos State

Professional development for theatre practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial theatre capital, requires a structured framework that addresses skills currency, career progression, and industry sustainability. This study developed a professional development framework for theatre practitioners in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. A professional framework development methodology was applied, drawing on a practitioner skills and career needs survey of 120 active theatre professionals across performance, direction, design, and management domains, structured consultations with 20 senior industry figures and 10 arts education specialists, and benchmarking against Arts Council England's professional development framework and the South African creative industries professional development model. Survey findings confirmed significant gaps in business skills (cited by 76.7 percent as needed), digital technology applications in theatre (68.3 percent), and grant writing (71.7 percent). The framework developed specifies seven development pathways: performance skills advancement, directing and devising, production and design, theatre management, dramaturgy and writing, applied theatre practice, and digital and media theatre. Each pathway includes a competency ladder, available training providers, mentorship network provisions, and professional credential recognition mechanisms. Expert review by twelve arts education and industry specialists confirmed the framework's comprehensiveness and market alignment. The study recommends formal endorsement by the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners and Lagos State Ministry of Tourism and Culture, with LCCI support for business skills components.

Keywords: professional development, theatre practitioners, Lagos State, arts career, creative industry