Celebrating the past in the present...

 

Next year Yew Tree Youth Theatre will be 30 years old.  We haven’t quite decided how we will celebrate - any suggestions would be gratefully received. No doubt there will be some nostalgic perambulating down memory lane and some haphazard but joyous celebrating of three decades of creativity we have shared.  Some variation of those two themes would feel fitting.

This blog however is something different. This blog is a celebration of the present of those who attended YTYT in the past. Alumni, graduates, previous members – I can never seem to find the right term – but whatever word is chosen I know for sure they are part of the fabric of the youth theatre and I’m grateful to have known all of them, mainly because I have learnt so much from them.  I also can’t put a number on how many people have spent significant time with YTYT over the last 29 years.  I know we started with a group of 8 and now have about 80 members, I know at our peak just before COVID we had about 130 young people at our weekly sessions, I don’t know if there is an algorithm to calculate a total, the simple answer is there has been a lot.

Apart from our longevity, another source of inspiration for this blog was a shout out at the What’s On Stage awards ceremony. Jack Wolfe was accepting his award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance in Next to Normal. I was surprised and more than a little emotional at his recognition of the positive impact of being part of Yew Tree Youth Theatre. It made me so proud seeing him up there.  However, fast on the heels of this pride came gratitude for everyone that has been a part of YTYT and the joy I have in finding out where they are and what they are doing.  This happiness was amplified as I watched an outpouring of celebration and support from those who knew him at YTYT.

Sometimes I am guilty of being so absorbed in the current generation of Yew Treers and the projects I am working on that I lose sight of the foundations of Yew Tree. The foundations that are made entirely of the people who have made up the organization over what is now almost three decades. However, I am lucky that some of them – representatives of each generation - check in with me every now and again with a comment, a message or some other sort of correspondence.  These moments of connection make my day and allow me to reflect on the lovely memories their contact evokes and equally enjoy news of what they are doing now.  In the absence of direct check ins connections via social media offers a small window into where people are and what they are up to.

There are, of course, those like Jack who have succeeded in the incredibly competitive world of theatre, performance and the arts. Actors who spent time at YTYT have graced the stages of the RSC, The Globe, The National and countless others across the length and breadth of the country.  Every now and again one of them will pop up on my screen in a diverse mix of material including Netflix series, murder mysteries and adverts. Some have become award winning playwrights, theatre makers, some are touring musicians, dance school principals, bloggers, vloggers and award nominated authors and illustrators of children’s books. There are also those who carry on the YTYT legacy in their own inimitable way as drama practitioners and teachers, directors and workshop facilitators.  Some of our graduates work for us as part of our team of freelance actors which is a constant source of pride.

Equally there are a large number of Yew Tree alumni caring for us as medical professionals.  Doctors, Surgeons, Dentists, Nurses, Psychologists, Vets…some are still in training and some have very established and prestigious careers.  One such professional got in touch recently to say they were now working at an NHS trust where they had work shadowed with us about a decade ago. We have YTYT graduates working in schools, prisons, social services, the civil service, hospitality, politics and in the private sector.  There are people studying a myriad of subjects at university as I type including history, computer science, media, acting, performance, writing and English language.

As you can imagine, there are YTYTers living right across the country and we also have an international reach with our alumni too. Two previous members live in New Zealand and a very wonderful graduate, from a very early generation, who sends me regular and much appreciated voice notes from Vietnam -  catching me up on her news and giving me insights into a life I couldn’t otherwise imagine living.

I love Instagram and Facebook for allowing me to see YTYTers who now have homes and families of their own…in the same way I enjoyed prom photos when they were part of YTYT it is lovely to see wedding photos, baby arrival announcements and birthday celebrations.  Occasionally I get an invite to one of these special occasions and although my lifestyle means its often impossible to make it to them – the invitation is cherished more than words can articulate.  In a way that makes me feel really old we now have a member of Emerald Company who is the daughter of someone I taught in the late 2000’s.  I don’t mind the fact that it makes me feel old because she is an absolute delight!!  It is important I emphasise that I value people’s success as parents, friends and people even more highly than their professional achievements.  Equally, when I see people reaching out to fellow YTYTers to offer support in challenging times I am comforted to know the bonds established in earlier years are there to help much later on.

I don’t take any credit for where YTYT graduates have got to and what they have accomplished.  However, I would like to think that creating a safe space for people to play and be themselves, to try things out, to make discoveries, to connect with people who might become friends for life had a positive impact on their lives.  It was lovely to hear from Jack, in his acceptance speech, that was how he felt.

You will have noticed that apart from Jack I haven’t mentioned any names as I don’t want to presume everyone would be happy to be claimed as part of YTYT’s public history and legacy.  Rest assured, I remember every name, can put a face to that name and in a joyously self-indulgent way conversations from our connected past can be instantly replayed as if they happened yesterday. My admiration for each of them – that’s you if you are an alumni that happens to be reading this - knows no bounds. This blog is a recognition of this and my chance to take a moment of gratitude for having a shared a part of people’s past and a hope that it helped them as they moved on and moved forward.

There is a special place in my heart for those people who come back and volunteer with us or run workshops for us or who come to sessions and chat with the young people who make up the youth theatre now.  Equally, I am forever grateful to those from previous generations who support current casts by being an audience for our shows – there are a significant number coming to see us perform Kiss, Marry Push off a Cliff at Sheffield Crucible on Saturday.  The generosity of alumni in coming back to share what they have learnt and/or be interested in what is happening now, leaves me with all sorts of happiness.

And finally, what about this generation?  I asked the current NT Connections cast where they saw themselves in the future the answer was as diverse and aspirational as you would hope – I hope the world is ready for the psychologists, actors, writers, directors, medics, archaeologists and cancer research specialists that are on their way…