FST’s Mentoring Programme has been a core element of our work for the last 13 years and supported many in our sector with direction, development and learning.
Mentoring is a two-way partnership of mutual respect, between someone with experience and someone who is seeking support. The FST Mentoring programme aims to raise
self-awareness, encourage increased self-reflection and support a people-centric approach to working. The skills are transferable and applicable in any walk of life, be it at work or home.
If you have any enquiries please don’t hesitate to contact Fiona McCurdy, Professional Development Manager.
FST Mentors
Being a Mentor is an enriching experience and an excellent CPD opportunity for those interested in supporting others in the sector. As part of the programme, you’ll take part in bespoke training to further improve your management and leadership skills, while contributing to your industry peers’ personal and professional development.
The commitment you make as a Mentor is to attend Mentor training and then, throughout the year, have between six and eight sessions with your Mentee. If you decide to continue mentoring the following year, you will be asked to attend Mentor refresher sessions.
Applications are now open and will close on 21 April 2023, 5pm.
FST Mentees
The FST Mentorship scheme offers professionals working within the performing arts a personal mentor and six to eight mentoring sessions. These sessions are designed as opportunities for analysis, reflection and action to enable you to achieve success in your work.
Using coaching models, Mentors will encourage and support you in finding solutions to the professional challenges you face.
Previous Mentees said:
My Mentor was exceptionally skilled and supportive and I benefited immensely from this mentoring. It was a surprising, interesting and thoughtful process and has given me some great tools to use.
Previous mentee
Applications are now closed until May 2023.
This new addition to our regular mentoring programme will be for people who would like to be paired with a mentor to discuss a specific issue. Existing mentors will specify which areas they are able to provide assistance and will then work with a mentee over a course of up to three sessions over three months. Role-to-role mentoring will be a lighter touch option, where the mentee will be able to work through a specific problem / task.
Mini Mentoring – Mentees
When you apply, we will match you to a mentor, who has expertise in your expressed area of need, for up to three, one-hour sessions across three months (dependant on the availability of a mentor). These can be done in person or online, depending on the availability of your mentor.
Mini Mentoring - Mentors
If you are an existing Mentor and a current FST Member, please fill in this form to express your interest in the programme:
Mini Mentoring is a year-round programme.
If you would like to become a mentee, fill in the application form. If you are an existing mentor and would like to become a mentor in the Mini Mentoring programme, fill in the form below.
This programme is free to FST Full, Associate and Individual members. It is open to individuals working in all areas of the performing arts, it will only depend on the availability of a mentor for your specific area of need.
Mini Mentoring Mentees Application Form:
Andonella Thomson – biography
FST Mentoring is run by Andonella Thomson from Kingscavil Consulting. Andonella Thomson began her career as a trainer and worked for many years as Learning & Development Manager at Ernst & Young. She is highly experienced and has worked side by side many business leaders both in the Arts and in other sectors. Her coaching style includes using a wealth of tools and techniques which help people develop new skills and fine tune existing skills, achieving their best potential and finding their way forward. Andonella is a Fellow of the CIPD and has a Certificate in Coaching Practice from Westminster University (recognised by the Association for Coaching). She is also a Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and holds a B.Ed Hons in English Literature.
The FST Mentoring Programme will draw on Andonella’s experience and she will make sure that Mentors are equipped with the resources to deliver mentoring feel supported throughout the whole journey.