What is youth theatre?
“Youth theatre” is a broad term used to describe a wide variety of organisations engaging young people in theatre related activities. Youth theatre takes place outside formal education, is facilitated by adults (to greater and lesser degrees) and is based on the voluntary participation of young people. Research findings (see Playing a Part, a study of the impact of youth theatre on the personal, social and political development of young people) suggest that taking part in youth theatre has a wide range of impacts on young people, positively contributing to transitions from childhood to adulthood. Researchers identified four models of youth theatre that were used to guide decisions about the range of youth theatres to select to take part in the wider research process: Theatre/arts: The reason for being within this model is to provide access to professional quality drama and theatre processes. Personal and social development outcomes may be by-products of this work but the driving force
