YOUTH THEATRE SYMPOSIUM

Creating Technical Youth Theatres - sharing Chichester Festival Theatre's experience.

A Technical Youth Theatre Symposium jointly hosted by the ALPD and Chichester Festival Theatre at The Royal Opera House on Tuesday 24th February 2pm – 4pm.

The Symposium will be led by
Johanna Town (Chair ALPD)
Sally Garner-Gibbons (Apprenticeships Manager and Technical Youth Theatre Co-Ordinator CFT)
Emma Chapman ALPD member

At the ALPD we are actively seeking ways to encourage young people into our industry. We will be sharing Chichester Festival Theatre’s Technical Youth Theatre model: how it came about, its financing and how it runs today after commencing weekly sessions in 2008. CFT will also present their recent Social Impact Report alongside their Alumni Report which demonstrate the benefit of the programme. Past alumni will be in attendance to share their journeys. The ALPD became aware of CFT’s tech youth theatre through a member’s experience: freelancers have the ability to be conduits between organisations, and our aim is to start a dialogue to share progressive models.

Currently the industry is facing a skills shortage, there is a need to strengthen our technical workforces. Schemes such as CFT nurture home grown talent allowing a young person to forge a pathway from tech youth theatre through to employment. We know there are many wonderful schemes across the country and we see this as an opportunity to start a much-needed dialogue between organisations.

Following the presentations there will be an active round table discussion to collate ideas, form partnerships and address challenges.