After a great response to the first round of our Grants for Youth Theatre funding scheme, we’re delighted to distribute just over £23,000 in investment to our successful applicants.
This funding will enable groups and freelancers across Scotland to adapt their practice and deliver targeted activity with young people. It will support groups to make COVID adaptations, and address issues of inequality, environmental impact, or social justice. The funds should aid the development of practice which will result in a positive impact on young people.
The funding for YTAS’s Grants for Youth Theatre was provided by the generous support of the Scottish Government’s Emergency Funds for Youth Arts and Communities Recovery Fund, as well as support from the Gannochy Trust. The funding is designed to help the recovery of youth arts across Scotland and ensure creative opportunities for children and young people continue despite the pandemic.
As well as receiving funding, successful applicants will be supported by one of our experienced Allies in Residence. These Allies will help groups embarking on new projects in possibly-unfamiliar territory.
Our successful applicants for this first round of Grants for Youth Theatre funding were as follows:
ShowWorks will receive £2,925 to help rebuild their groups post-COVID. They’ll also provide free accessible opportunities to young people in priority SIMD areas through DramaFEST, an exciting creative summer programme delivered outdoors, indoors and online.
Creative Spark Theatre Arts will receive £2,630 to research, design, and record a new podcast. Young people will address social justice issues they care about, build their own knowledge, and connect with others.
Sanctuary Queer Arts will use their £2,600 to place mental health provision at the heart of their work. By partnering with Pure Potential Scotland, they’ll offer training and mental health support throughout the creative process.
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival will receive £3,000 to support a digital theatre project, exploring young people’s creative responses to Edinburgh’s Black History. This will be presented as part of Edinburgh Festival Carnival’s digital programme.
Orbit of the Moon will receive £3,000 to create their first online digital production with young people in S1 in the Falkirk area, exploring rituals and transitions that were missed due to the pandemic.
Overdrive Dance Company successfully applied for £3,000 to develop their online presence. They hope this will help them to reach more young people, gain funding, and increase opportunities.
YouthSTUFF will use their £2,840 to run a series of creative masterclasses, programmed by young people, to re-connect participants and engage new ones after lockdown, in a priority SIMD area.
…and last but not least, Theatre Sans Accents will put £3,000 towards celebrating the French Revolution in style! They’ll host outdoor interactive performances in priority SIMD communities across Edinburgh, culminating in a screening on Bastille Day. Magnifique!
Congratulations to our successful applicants: we look forward to hearing all about the projects in the coming weeks!
What next?
We have offered feedback sessions with applicants, and will be working closely with six companies to develop their project proposals. This support will range from coaching and development sessions and access to training, to smaller amounts of funding that will allow their idea to develop.
The Grants for Youth Theatre scheme will reopen for applications in June. Please keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for announcements.
