What is The Young Theatre?

It is a theatre group for young people, run by young people.

The Young Theatre Aims:

To stimulate an interest in the theatre amongst young people
To encourage and develop that interest by providing as many facilities as possible for a practical training and active participation in a wide range of theatrical activities
To establish and maintain, by united effort, a high standard of performance and presentation in all group productions

These Aims are extracted from the Constitution of The Young Theatre

The Young Theatre Concepts

The Young Theatre is -: A theatre group for young people, run by young people
The Young Theatre aims to stimulate an interest in theatre by -: Creating a supportive environment for learning and experimentation; Facilitating practical training and active participation in all aspects of theatre; Maintaining a high standard of performance and presentation in all productions; Encouraging participation in all the group’s activities
The Young Theatre members -: Are a team - and a team of teams; Show commitment and respect, and accept responsibility; Understand that “the more you put in - the more you get out”; Believe that “if it’s worth doing - it’s worth doing well”
The Young Theatre is not -: A social club - but is very sociable .; A believer in “oh, that’ll do” - but is conscious of limits on time and money; Run by grown-ups - but accepts and welcomes their advice, guidance, support and encouragement

The Young Theatre looks to the future - but is proud of its past.

“Think not what Young Theatre can do for you -
but rather what you can do for Young Theatre”
- Group Director (1982-1984) Michael Wicherek paraphrasing John F. Kennedy

The Young Theatre Ethos

Ethos [_thos - (Greek) nature, disposition ]: the characteristic spirit or attitudes of the individual, group, etc.

The Young Theatre should be an exciting environment that -
- encourages learning and participation: by providing the opportunities for members to learn and actively participate fully in all aspects of the theatre
- develops a strong sense of team spirit: the “all for one & one for all” philosophy where taking pleasure at other members’ success and supporting others when things go wrong are considered an integral part of being a member of The Young Theatre
- encourages members to take pride in the group: its reputation - its standard of productions - and the part they play in the group
- emphasises the responsibilities of membership
- encourages honesty - integrity - loyalty - commitment and trust
- encourages an active involvement in the community.

Mentors

An important and integral element of Young Theatre thinking is the use of mentors; people with knowledge, experience and expertise of the various aspects of either running a production or running a group such as this. Mentors are selected and approached by the Executive Committee and are prepared to work with the membership and provide pro-active advice, guidance, encouragement, support and assistance to the members of the Executive Committee, sub-committees and production teams. However, the all-important aspect of YT remains - namely that all executive decisions are taken by the Executive Committee made up of members elected at the group�s Annual General Meeting and not by any adults who have been invited along to help out in this way.

This section was compiled in discussion with the members of The Young Theatre (at Beaconsfield) in 2004

Young Theatre Members

With membership comes certain RESPONSIBILITIES. All Members are expected

to be willing to participate in, and learn from, Young Theatre activities
to be positive, constructive and supportive of the group and other members
to show self-discipline - and self-respect
to be a member of a team - working for the good of that team
to respect each other, and respect the facilities and equipment that they use
to be aware and considerate of the health and safety of themselves and others
to be responsible for their own property and considerate towards the property of others
to behave appropriately during all meetings and rehearsals
to be responsible for their own time-management with regard to balancing the demands of home, schoolwork and YT involvement
and
to actively support and promote all the group�s productions and events

By becoming a Member of The Young Theatre, Members also agree to

arrive promptly for all rehearsals and meetings, and wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the activity
follow appropriately any reasonable instructions given by group officials and/or production directors
assist in leaving the areas used by the group in a clean and tidy state
and
pay their subscriptions on time!

(At Beaconsfield, there are Wendy Hiller Bursaries available, with a maximum of three such Bursaries which can be awarded each season. Each bursary consists of the payment of the full annual subscription for the season, and is available, on application, to anyone wishing to belong to the group but being unable to meet the cost of the membership subscription.)

With effect from September, 2012 members should ensure they are members at groupspaces where they can download files relating to the Annnual General Meeting, the group's Constitution, and so on.

If you would like more information or would be interested in possibly starting a Young Theatre group of your own, please contact us using the 'write' button below.

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