Thought NFYT was just for campers? Think again!
This year’s National Festival of Youth Theatre also included a regional hub: a multi-day training event complete with workshops, networking activities and tickets to festival performances.
The aims of the regional hubs are to: upskill artists; share practice on specific creative areas; create stronger working relationships within regional youth theatre networks; support emerging youth theatre artists; identify future partnerships and projects; and help to shape YTAS’s programming.
Practitioners joined us at the Cutty Sark in Ayr from Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 July 2024 for workshops, networking and lots of lively discussion!
What’s On: Saturday 6 July 2024
Our first workshop of the weekend was led by Georgia Nelson and Annie Lowry Thomas with support from Scottish Youth Theatre and investigated AI in the Creative Process. How can new technology be used as a tool to unlock creativity? In this workshop practitioners challenged AI’s playwrighting abilities and explored the use of technology as an integral tool in a process. They played with new methodologies practically while discussing with peers how this might apply to their own setting.
The afternoon workshop Queer Methodologies in Youth Theatre was led by Ella McCarthy. In celebration of the brilliant role the youth theatre can play in the development of identity and self-belief, this workshop explored methods of creating work with young people from a queer perspective while also examining youth theatre’s role in building inclusive spaces. For further explanation about what we mean when we use the word ‘Queer’ as associated with theatre practice, check out this helpful history compiled by Stratford East Theatre: Here and Queer: A Brief History Lesson in Queer Theatre (stratfordeast.com)
What’s On: Sunday 7 July 2024
Sunday morning began with a creative workshop investigating and creating Shadow Puppetry with artist and theatre maker Daniel Livingston. Shadow puppetry is an ancient storytelling tool used to tell great stories. In this workshop we explored this theatrical tool using shadows and light, creating new ways to tell shadow stories. During this workshop practioners created shadow puppets but also looked at what shadow stories could be.
We rounded off our second day with a YTAS favourite… everyone loves a Games Exchange! We all know that the games we use to start our workshops are integral to our practice, but it’s so easy to get stuck delivering the same ones over and over again. Practitioners brought their favourite warm-up game, and came away with a list of new activities learned from others, a refresh on the games they’d forgotten, and even learned some twists on the classics.
Agenda
Day One: Saturday 6 July
- 10.30am: Arrivals, tea and coffee
- 11am: Welcome from YTAS
- 11.30am: AI in the creative process (Workshop led by Georgia Nelson and Annie Lowry Scottish Youth Theatre)
- 1pm: Lunch
- 2.15pm: Performance at the Ayr Gaiety
- 3.30pm: Queer Methodologies in Youth Theatre (Workshop led by Ella McCarthy)
- 5pm: Finish
- 7.15pm: Optional evening performance at the Ayr Gaiety
Day Two: Sunday 7 July
- 10am: Arrivals and coffee
- 10.30am: Shadow Puppetry (Workshop led by Daniel Livingston)
- 12.15pm: Performance at Ayr Gaiety
- 1.30pm: Lunch
- 3.30pm: Games Exchange (Workshop led by YTAS)
- 5pm: Finish
Who was it for?
The event was for everyone who uses drama and theatre in their work with young people. This could include youth theatre leaders, drama teachers, youth workers, community learning professionals, theatre practitioners, students, and emerging young leaders (aged 16+).
YTAS Membership
Our membership is made up of independent youth theatres, arts organisations with their own youth theatre provision, volunteer-run charities, freelance practitioners of youth theatre arts, and many more. If you’re interested in joining a national network of like-minded people, be sure to read more at our membership page.
