Youth Theatre
The New Wolsey Youth Theatre is for 11 - 16 year olds who enjoy drama and want to learn more. Weekly workshops, regular projects, and productions are designed to increase participant's theatre knowledge and experience, as well as developing confidence and social skills. There are 3 working groups, the first for 11, 12, and 13 year olds, the second for 13, 14, and 15 year olds and the third for 15 and 16 year olds. There are approximately 20 places in each group. The groups meet weekly in term time. All of the groups are facilitated by the Creative Learning Practitioner. The third group will amalgamate with the Young Company for the Summer Term.
Young Company
The New Wolsey Young Company is for 16 - 21 year olds who are considering a career in the arts. A programme of skills and training sessions combines with three annual productions, access to entry level employment and ongoing engagement with the industry to make a high quality platform for committed young people to develop their abilities as theatre makers. There are approximately 25 places in the group. The group meets weekly in term time. The group is mentored by the Associate Director. All participants are offered the opportunity to perform in one or more of the productions, the first directed by the Associate Director in the Spring Term, the second directed by a Freelance Artist in the Summer Term, and the third devised or directed by the group themselves in the Autumn Term. The Young Company will amalgamate with Group 3 of the Youth Theatre in the Summer Term. The Young Company is fundamental component in the Creative Learning Offer, key to the development of our themes, a consistent example of the impact of our process and a regular showcase in our community. This work makes up the central activity in our talent development offer. It is our aim to extend this profile to gain industry recognition by supporting their journey onto drama courses and other pre-professional qualification routes and by profiling their activity in industry publications.
Young Associates
The Young Associates are young people aged 18 - 21 who are actively pursuing a career in the arts, and want to gain first hand knowledge and experience in a professional theatre environment. Working closely with the Creative Learning Team and the Senior Management Team, the Young Associates contribute to programming decisions with specific reference to representing the needs of young people in the repertoire, work with various teams to develop pathways for other young people to follow into their department or practice, and are expressly mandated to create work that promotes theatre to young people who feel that the arts do not reflect them or their values. The Young Associates are employed for specific tasks and volunteer for others. The Young Associates are administered by one member who is given weekly paid hours to maintain communication between them and the rest of the New Wolsey Teams. This member also generates with the Associate Director the agenda for the regular Young Associates meetings, and sits on New Wolsey Theatre Board meetings to update the board and ask and answer questions.