A weekly youth theatre programme for young people aged 10 to 16 is structuring its year around three distinct phases of creative development, moving participants from foundational technique through to public performance. Run by Live Youth Theatre, the sessions split participants into two age bands and spread across several evening groups during term time, including a satellite group in Sunderland.
A Term-by-Term Approach to Craft
The programme's structure is its most distinctive feature. Rather than running undifferentiated drama sessions week to week, it divides the academic year into three labelled phases. The autumn term, "Learn, Play and Try", runs from September to December and concentrates on introducing theatre-making and performance fundamentals. The spring term, "Explore, Create and Make", shifts the focus toward storytelling and creative writing, with participants working collaboratively toward a performance they will eventually share with an audience. The final term, running April to June under the banner "Reflect, Develop and Build", is given over to consolidation - looking back at what has been learned and strengthening skills before the year closes.
This progression mirrors a model familiar in arts education more broadly: skills acquisition first, creative application second, reflective practice last. For young performers, that sequencing matters. Confidence on stage tends to build incrementally, and a term dedicated purely to reflection gives participants room to process feedback without the pressure of an imminent show.
Age Groups, Locations and Scheduling
The programme separates participants by age, recognising that the needs and attention spans of a ten-year-old differ substantially from those of a sixteen-year-old. Two groups are offered for 10 to 13-year-olds, meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings respectively between 6pm and 8pm during term time. A separate satellite group for 10 to 14-year-olds runs in Sunderland, hosted at Monkwearmouth Academy on Wednesday evenings from 5pm to 7pm - a useful detail for families outside the main catchment area who might otherwise face a longer commute.
Older participants, aged 14 to 16, have two further options: a Wednesday evening group and a Thursday evening group, both also running 6pm to 8pm. Offering parallel sessions on different weekdays is a practical response to the reality that extracurricular scheduling often competes with school commitments, part-time work or family routines, particularly for teenagers juggling exam pressures.
Access, Waiting Lists and Fairness
Sign-up for the programme opens during the summer holidays, ahead of the September start, and this year's applications have already closed. For groups that fill up, the organisation maintains a mailing list rather than a conventional waiting list with sequential offers. When a space becomes available, everyone on the list is notified simultaneously, and places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
That approach has a clear logic: it avoids the appearance of favouritism that can arise when spaces are offered individually in an undisclosed order, and it gives every family on the list an equal window to respond. It does mean, however, that speed of response rather than length of wait determines who secures a place - worth bearing in mind for parents weighing up whether to join.
- Two age bands: 10-13s and 14-16s, plus a Sunderland satellite group for 10-14s
- Three terms per year, each with a distinct creative focus
- Multiple weekday options to ease scheduling conflicts
- Mailing list system for oversubscribed groups, filled on a first-come, first-served basis
Enquiries about places, or general questions about how the programme runs, can be directed to Live Youth Theatre by email or by phone on (0191) 229 2371.