The National Youth Theatre (NYT) has announced free auditions at the Theatre School of Scotland in Glasgow this February. Young people will also be able to audition online using the NYT Hub. Successful applicants will be invited to take part in summer intake courses, which for the first time will take place in cities around the UK in an expansion of the charity’s national programme. Free workshops in partnership with local community groups are taking place in each area to prepare young people to audition, as well as accessible auditions in local non-mainstream schools.
NYT auditions for young people interested in joining the charity’s Acting Member in 2023 are open to young people aged 14-25 and, through Inclusive Practice ethos, those aged up to 30 for learning disabled or neurodiverse young people. Backstage interviews are also open via the Hub for young people interested in Costume, Lighting, Scenic Construction, Sound and Stage Management. Successful auditionees can go on to appear or take on technical theatre roles on high profile NYT productions around the UK and in the West End. As well as presenting theatre, members of the company have performed and created work with NYT at London Fashion Week, This Bright Land and Latitude festivals, the Olympic and Paralympic Team Welcome Ceremony, and Glasgow’s COP26 presenting work that brought young people’s views on the climate crisis to the conference. This year’s auditions take place in person and online via the National Youth Theatre Hub. You can sign up for the Hub Subscription for just £2-a-month and free bursary places are available.
The Hub gives subscribers access to over 24 online interactive workshops and talks a year with industry leaders and NYT alumni. The scheme also includes the opportunity to audition to become an Acting member, to interview to become a Backstage Member and the chance to take part in Creative Leadership training with no extra cost. The Hub platform allows subscribers to connect with a nationwide network of young creatives, access community courses and events and unlock discounts for masterclasses and merchandise. Hundreds of young people around the UK auditioning at their schools also gain access to NYT’s Hub. Young people aged 11-26 can subscribe to the NYT Hub, with 14-25-year-olds eligible to audition or interview for acting or backstage membership.
NYT Artistic Director and CEO Paul Roseby said “Being National means being local and we’re proud to be in seven different arts venues around the country with our summer intake courses for the first time. The need to support young talent nationwide is greater than ever and we’re committed to responding to that challenge with this free offer. Alongside this activity this year we’ll be boosting our national reach with a dynamic creative partnership with Leeds 2023, opportunities with our 10 Associate Companies around the country and major new programmes in Wales and the North East [of England] coming soon.”
Scottish Acting Auditions take place on 11th February 2023 Glasgow, Theatre School of Scotland.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 