What's happening at YTYT

Youth theatre has a hugely important part to play in amateur theatre and as NODA North East Youth Co-ordinator and District 13 representative I am doubly blessed to have Yew Tree Youth Theatre (YTYT) as part of the district. In addition to performance skills young people can gain so many benefits from being involved in youth theatre including building confidence, communication skills, creativity, teamwork, and emotional development.  YTYT provides a safe and supportive environment for self-expression, social interaction, and personal growth, which will ultimately boost self-esteem and well-being.  Through watching the YTYT productions I can see how youth theatre helps young people overcome stage fright, develop self-assurance, and believe in their own abilities.  Improving communication skills is achieved through participating in activities and it also enhances verbal and non-verbal communication, including clear articulation, active listening, and effective exp...

I’m not an actor. I’m a university lecturer. My experience demonstrates that being in a theatre group doesn’t mean you have to work in theatre in the future. I’d like to explain how the skills that I developed from being part of YTYT 20 years ago have been transformative and shaped who I am today. Communication  Performance is a form of communication. As a lecturer and leader in higher education, I “perform” regularly as have to speak publicly and articulate my message clearly. One of my strong beliefs as an educator is that it is my job to make my audience understand my point; it’s not the audience’s job to decipher my meaning. I also bring a human approach to my lecturers by being expressive when I speak and actively listening to my students. Before being a lecturer, I taught English abroad for several years which meant that I was often communicating across language barriers. The use of non-verbal and paralinguistic features of communication (body language, gestures, facial expre...