A manifesto for the future of Youth Theatre...

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I am newly returned from a wonderful week at NODA – a summer school at Warwick University for lovers of all things theatre and music.  I’ve been teaching 12 very lovely people as much as I could about Directing Youth Theatre and there isn’t a more fulfilling and exhausting thing to do other than possibly directing youth theatre.  In this blog I’m focusing on the students in my class but it’s worth saying that the entire student body, the organisers and the tutors I am privileged to call my colleagues are some of the most brilliant, generous and positive people you are ever likely to meet.

My students came from very different walks of life with very different values but are united through their love of the arts and their belief in the positive impact it can have on young people.  One of the main things I was impressed with was how open they were to listening to the ideas of others even if they weren’t entirely in line with their own.  By seeing things from a different perspective all sorts of things could be discovered.  Indeed throughout the week of workshops we’ve discussed and debated, played and planned…we’ve striven and struggled, all in the name of trying our hardest to be the best directors of theatre for young people we can.  I finished the week in such admiration of my students who were prepared to step out of their comfort zones and be open to discover new things and envisage a more creative future for themselves and the young people they work with.

The end of the summer school is celebrated by a presentation where students from all the different courses watch each other and share elements of what has taken place over the week.  When my group took to the stage I couldn’t have been prouder as these people – many of whom were so far out of their comfort zone it felt like they were free falling from 10,000 feet – publicly stated, with conviction, their manifesto for their future as directors of young people:

“So in those, halls and theatres a little magic is happening as we are strive to…

Give kids confidence

Help others reach their potential

Enthuse our future

Wow our audience

Nurture a love of theatre

Have fun

Work as a team

Discover possibilities

Take risks and be ambitious

Open minds”

My students are now back in their hometowns that span the length of Great Britain from Dundee to Cornwall I can’t wait to find out what happens as a result of our week together…



Comments

  1. Gordon10 August 2014 at 18:24

    As one of Sarah's students at NODA Summer school I hope you appreciate the accomplished an compassionate treasure you have within your midst in Yew Tree. We have developed from a group of 12 individuals with individual ideas into a cohesive force dedicated to the furtherance of youth theatre.
    Thank you Sarah - nyour class of 2014 salutes you....

    ReplyDelete

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