Free Youth Theatre for Young People in South West London

Young people based in South West London are invited to join the new Youth Theatre at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.

The new Drama St Mary’s Youth Theatre is a free Saturday drama club open to young people aged 13-16. St Mary’s has teamed up with the National Saturday Club to offer the weekly Saturday Club to teenagers from underrepresented backgrounds. This is part of St Mary’s University’s commitment to widening participation in Higher Education and the arts.

The Youth Theatre will be led by newly appointed Director Samuel Adebayo, who’ll be supported by three final year Acting students Eden Maye, Daniela Roberts Santos and Michael Hill.

Nancy Bentley, Widening Participation Manager said, ‘Teenagers in the Youth Theatre will be acting and creating every Saturday morning, becoming more confident and making new friends. Having prior experience of drama and acting doesn’t matter, just being enthusiastic to join the Club and get creative right away.’

Free places for the Youth Theatre will be prioritised for young people who are underrepresented in Higher Education and the arts. This includes but isn’t limited to students eligible for Free School Meals, students with a disability, or students from an ethnic minority group, including Gypsy Roma and Traveller communities.

Mark Griffin Head of Drama commented, “We’re really excited to have launched the Youth Theatre as we continue to look for ways in which Drama St Mary’s can expand its reach and reputation as a centre of excellence with a genuine focus on widening participation. We’ve appointed a brilliant team of young leaders who I know will ensure that every Saturday morning participant is given a fantastic opportunity to be part of a creative and supportive company. I can’t wait to see what they produce.”

Across the UK, the National Saturday Club enables 13–16-year-olds to take part in creative subjects they love at their local university, for free. Drama St Mary’s is leading the Youth Theatre as part of the Saturday Club ‘Writing & Talking’ strand.

Young people can apply online at www.saturday-club.org/join-a-club/ and selecting St Mary’s University from the drop-down list. The Youth Theatre launches on Saturday 6^th November and will take place on up to 30 Saturdays this year. To find out more and apply to join please email DramaSaturdayClub@stmarys.ac.uk