Our Mission

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We are Scotland’s development organisation for youth theatre

We work to help make young people’s lives better through the creativity and community of youth theatre arts.

We support and develop a sector which engages 14,000 young people every week (YTAS Sector Review, 2020).

We do this by providing:

a membership network which supports and connects over 100 youth theatre groups and freelance practitioners across Scotland
national and international youth theatre projects, festivals, and events;
workforce training and professional development; and
information services.

Our vision is for there to be universal access to quality youth theatre activity across Scotland, and for there to be universal recognition of its transformative impact.

Each year:

3,000 young people, professionals and volunteers attend our events and activities;
13,000 young people benefit from the training and support we provide their leaders; and
20,000 users access our online resources and communications

What is youth theatre?

We consider a youth theatre to be any group or organisation which engages young people, up to the age of 25, as active participants in theatre arts, and where their participation is central to the motivation of the creative process.

We believe that youth theatre is an ideal medium to encourage and explore the dreams and visions of young people, and to nurture their self-confidence. We aim for all youth theatre activity across Scotland to aspire to the highest standards of practice, ensuring that young people can enjoy a safe, inclusive and rewarding experience.

What we value

Helping others

Community

Collaboration

Excellence

Joy

Our Strategic Aims

A thriving network of youth theatres across Scotland

A confident and skilled youth theatre workforce

The impact of youth theatre on young people’s wellbeing, creativity and community is understood and supported

Our commitment to best practice

We have been an accredited Living Wage employer since 2016. This commitment ensures that everyone working at YTAS (regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers) receive a minimum hourly wage based on the cost of living.

We are committed to monitoring and managing our environmental impact, and are proud members of the Green Arts Initiative, an interactive community of Scottish arts organisations working to reduce their environmental impact.

Our Partners

We work with a range of partner organisations from across Scotland to help develop and grow your theatre

Questions?

If you’d like to know more about YTAS and our memberships, please contact our team

Join YTAS

Our members are located throughout Scotland and together they are responsible for the majority of youth theatre activity delivered across the country

Make a donation

Together we can ensure a strong future for theatre and the performing arts in Scotland for the next generation and beyond

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