In 2021, YTAS disseminated £50k of grants to 21 youth groups and projects from 11 local authorities, engaging 709 children and young people.   

As well as supporting youth groups with funds to make COVID-recovery adaptations, the project enhanced the capacity of Scotland’s youth theatre sector to address issues of inequality, environmental impact, or social justice.   

Outcomes

Click on the links below to read about the activities and outcomes from some of the projects. 

• Creative Spark Theatre Arts researched, designed, and recorded a new podcast with young people in East Dunbartonshire addressing the social justice issues they cared about. 
• Cutting Edge Young Theatre were supported to establish a new company for those aged 18-25 with learning disabilities.    
• Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival delivered a digital promenade theatre project with the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, exploring young people’s creative responses to Edinburgh’s Black History. 
• Horsecross Arts paired young people with a designer to create an interactive installation that would make audiences think about simple actions they can take to reduce their impact on the climate. You can also hear more about this project in one of our Creative Conversations. 
• Largs Youth Theatre engaged participants across two holiday programmes to build drama skills and increase engagement with environmental themes and climate justice.   
• Sanctuary Queer Arts placed mental health provision at the heart of their work with training and support throughout their creative process. 
• ShowWorks provided free accessible opportunities to 147 young people in priority SIMD areas in North Ayrshire delivered outdoors, indoors and online. 
• Theatre Sans Accents hosted outdoor interactive performances in priority SIMD communities across Edinburgh, which encouraged young people to have their voices heard and promote intercultural understanding. 
• YouthSTUFF ran a series of creative masterclasses in Argyll, programmed by young people, to re-connect participants in a priority SIMD area after lockdown. 

As well as the groups listed above, the following organisations were supported through round one and round two of Grants for Youth Theatre 2021: Comar, Falkirk Youth Theatre, Fractured Glass Theatre (Freelancer, Lucy Wild), Kiera Wilkins (Freelancer), Ochil Youth Community Improvements, Orbit of the Moon, Spotlights Community Youth Theatre, Theatre Royal Dumfries, and Take Notice Youth Arts. 

What was involved?

Organisations supported through Grants for Youth Theatre in 2021 benefitted for bespoke training and mentoring from YTAS and assigned ‘Allies in Residence’, with 108 meetings held as well as 12 group training sessions.  

We also hosted a ‘wraparound’ programme of 22 free sector training and skill-share events, which were open to our broader network, with topics focussed on developing practice in relation to EDI, tackling climate change, young people’s rights and mental health support. By taking this approach we aim to build a national community which is committed to embedding social justice and climate action in youth theatre work. In total, 101 staff and volunteers were involved in the planning and delivery of youth activities across the programme as well as project support and training.