The Board of Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS) today announces that Kenny McGlashan, CEO since 2014, will be stepping down from his role at the development body, effective from the end of August 2025. He will take over the CEO position at the Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST) following the departure of Fiona Sturgeon-Shea earlier this year.  

Reflecting on his time at YTAS and looking ahead to the next chapter, Kenny McGlashan said: 

“It’s been an enormous privilege to lead Youth Theatre Arts Scotland for over a decade, and to work alongside so many inspiring people who champion the creativity and wellbeing of Scotland’s young people. I remain deeply committed to the youth arts sector, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together.  

As I move into this new role at the Federation of Scottish Theatre, I look forward to continuing that journey – supporting and advocating for the full breadth of Scotland’s performing arts and helping to shape a bold, inclusive future for the sector.” 

While YTAS will miss Kenny’s expertise and boundless energy for the importance of youth arts, he leaves the organisation both with a clear strategic framework and in a secure funding position. YTAS is currently working towards delivering the aims of its 2025-2028 Business Plan, having received an uplift in Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland earlier this year. 

The YTAS Board are now finalising plans for the recruitment of a new CEO, which will be launched on Wednesday 18 June. The Recruitment Pack will be made available on the YTAS website, www.ytas.org.uk, with the closing date for applications on 21 July.  

YTAS’s board and senior managers will oversee the charity’s operations from September, until a permanent successor is appointed. 

Notes to editors 

• Youth Theatre Arts Scotland is the national development body for the youth theatre sector in Scotland, and since 2004 has played an instrumental role in building and supporting a vibrant and vital sector. 

• YTAS support inspiring experiences for young people by connecting and training the network of 1800 adult staff and volunteers who work with them. 

• YTAS support a membership of around 100 youth theatre organisations and practitioners operating throughout Scotland. Each week they engage around 22,000 young people in youth theatre activity. 

• In 2022, YTAS and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) carried out research into the long-term impacts of participation in youth theatre on participants’ professional and personal lives. The research identified significant long-term impacts of taking part in youth theatre, including increased confidence, emotional intelligence, teamworking skills, and more.   

• YTAS is a multi-year funded organisation of Creative Scotland, which described our organisation as one which makes “a vital contribution to the current health and future development of the arts in Scotland”. 

• The national Youth Arts Strategy, Time to Shine, highlighted that “Scotland’s youth theatre sector is well networked and, through the work of Youth Theatre Arts Scotland, is proactive in its self-development”. 

Media Enquiries 

Hollie Wegner-Jaszkin | Communications and Marketing Manager 

hollie@ytas.org.uk | 0131 538 0591