The second of YTAS’ brand new training events included workshops and networking for youth theatre practitioners around Inverness.

Our Regional Hubs have been designed to upskill artists, share practice, support emerging artists, spark ideas for future partnerships, and create stronger working relationships within regions.

Practitioners attending our Inverness Hub could choose to join for all workshop and networking events across both days, for all workshops and networking on only one of the days, or just for the networking parts (which are free).

Agenda

Day One: Friday 12 January

• 10.30am: Arrivals/Welcome
• 11.00am: Let’s Get Moving: Building Physicality into Your Work (Workshop led by Eden Court)
• 1pm: Lunch Break
• 2pm: Designing Worlds… On a Budget! (Workshop led by Katherina Radeva)
• 4pm: Early Career Practitioners: Games Exchange OR Drama Teachers Connect (Networking)

Eden Court‘s practitioners kicked off their first Regional Hub weekend on the Friday morning by getting us warmed up to the different ways we can include physicality in our work. This workshop focussed on how to start the creative process from movement, linking it to stories, emotions and character.

For our Friday afternoon workshop, we were joined by Katherina Radeva to think about productions from a visual perspective. We worked with simple design tools to help elevate our work and to give our young artists the opportunity to create worlds with impact… all while working from a youth theatre budget!

And we rounded off our first day for early career practitioners (under 25) 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. We all brought our favourite warm-up game, and came away with a list of new activities learned from others, a refresh on the games we’d forgotten, and some twists on the classics.

We also hosted a Drama Teachers Connect event, a space for drama educators share ideas and discuss challenges in school settings from around the region. Led by Eden Court, this was a chance for drama teachers to build relationships with local artists while also connecting with colleagues outside of school.

Day Two: Saturday 13 January

• 11am: Arrivals
• 11.15am: Climate Conscious Theatre Projects (Workshop)
• 1pm: Lunch Break
• 2pm: Supporting Neurodiversity in your Youth Theatre (Workshop led by Ink Asher Hemp)

Saturday morning began with a workshop looking at how we can create theatre projects that are more climate-conscious. In this workshop we investigated creative ways to talk about the climate crisis with young people that are inspiring and engaging while also ensuring that everything we create is as sustainable as possible.

For Saturday afternoon, we lined up a practical workshop focussing on developing tools, rehearsing exercises, and swapping ideas to help leaders make creative spaces more accessible for neurodiverse young people. Ink Asher Hemp invited artists to explore their own practice, share experiences, and update their toolkits. Drawing from their own experience as an artist and facilitator, Ink ensured that all participants left the session with confidence in their ability to support young people with diverse needs in their home youth theatre, classrooms, and clubs.

Who was it for?

Regional Hubs are 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+).

Ticketing info

Practitioners attending our Inverness Hub could choose to join for all workshop and networking events across three days, for all workshops and networking on one of the days, or just for the networking parts.

The ticket options were as follows…

• YTAS Members: £10 per day or £15 for the full event
• Non-Members: £30 per day or £50 for the full event

Bursaries

Thanks to funding from Creative Scotland, the Gannochy Trust, the Macrobert Trust, the Foyle Foundation, the People’s Postcode Trust, the Stafford Trust, the Hugh Fraser Foundation and the JTH Charitable Trust, we were delighted to be able to offer bursary places to attend the Dumfries Regional Hub. 

Bursaries were available to any YTAS Member, who required financial support in order to attend, and covered any fees and/or expenses associated with the training.

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 on our membership page.

This is a safe space and all identities are welcome

YTAS have a zero-tolerance policy against any bullying. This includes but is not limited to: transphobia, homo or biphobia, racism, ableism, sexism, or class discrimination.