About Central Youth Theatre

Since 1983 Central Youth Theatre (CYT) has been Wolverhampton’s leading youth theatre. Founded by its current director, Jane Ward, hundreds of young people have passed through the Youth Theatre, many of whom have gone on to study drama and are now working professionally in theatre, film and television.

Wolverhampton City Council provides a modest amount of grant aid, currently standing at just over £13,300 per annum.  The financial assistance goes towards employing the part time director and subsidising subscription fees for families in receipt of income support.   CYT is a registered charity and limited company, as such parents, friends and former members are encouraged to be active in helping to raise funds and support the ambitious work of the group.  Parents & former members also become trustees of the Youth Theatre.

After many years without a permanent home, CYT is now based at the Newhampton Arts Centre – where our facilities include an administrative office and shared rehearsal rooms.  

In 2008 the Youth Theatre marked it’s 25th Anniversary by commissioning a large scale photographic exhibition celebrating the professional achievements of former members and this is now on permanent display in the Studio Block of the Newhampton Arts Centre.

CYT has additional premises at Northwood Park Primary School, where we store our vast collection of theatrical costumes.  These are used for not only our own productions, but also hired out to drama companies, schools and community groups.  (please see our web site: www.theactorswardrobe.co.uk)

We are a member of the National Association of Youth Theatres (NAYT) and Director Jane Ward is also a board member of the UK Committee of International Theatre Exchange (AITA).

OUR OBJECTIVES

• Provide opportunities for young people aged 8-25 years to learn a broad range of skills associated with the dramatic arts.
• Stage theatre productions of the highest possible standard.  Develop interest in and understanding of, all aspects of the production process, so that the final performance becomes the responsibility of young people. E.g. lighting, sound, stage-management etc.
• Expand young people’s flexibility through group work, ensuring each young person works co-operatively and with respect for the view of others.  Through this awareness encourage self-discipline.
• Maintain an emphasis on “group development”, but at the same time offer support and encouragement to individuals who express an interest in exploring further education opportunities beyond the youth theatre.
• Promote interest in, and knowledge of, different theatre forms through workshops, seminars and visits to theatres throughout Great Britain and internationally.
• Respond where possible to the needs of young people from different cultural backgrounds, and those young people who have special needs.
• Encourage more mature members of the youth theatre to assist in the development of the artistic work and the day to day management of the Youth Theatre, providing them with valuable experience and further training.

OUR ARTISTIC WORK
CYT has a strong reputation for the diversity of its production work and is unique in the UK for the amount of international work we undertake.

Here is an example of just some of the work we have undertaken:

• International theatre exchanges
  with Hungary (97), Russia (89 & 90), Lithuania (89) Estonia (89) Italy, Austria & CzechRepublic (2001), & Bosnia 2006, with reciprocal hosting in Wolverhampton.  In 2004 we also undertook a major residency project at Buckland Hall, Wales, working with members of CYT and young people from Italy, Austria and CzechRepublic.

• Participation in both competitive and non-competitive International Festivals in the following countries:

AUSTRIA

• Focus International Theatre Festival – 2008 – Berg Im Drautal, Austria
• Inscenario Festival – 2006 – Baden, Austria
• Austrian Theatre Festival– Hall, Austria – 2005
• European Youth Camp – Hall, Austria 2003 & 09

BELGIUM

• Youth on Stage Festival in Leuven, Belgium – 2003

CZECH REPUBLIC

• Soukani Festival – Ostrov Czech Republic – 2001, 03, 05 & 09

GERMANY

• International Theatre Treff – 2006 & 2004 - Lorrach,  Germany
• Days of European Culture Festival – Paderborn, Germany 2004

IRELAND

• Cabinteely International Youth Drama Festival  - Ireland  - (94, 97 & 2000).   In the 97 festival the group scooped twelve awards for best group and individual performances.                    

ITALY

• Hollawind Festival – 2005 & 2006 –  Brixen, Tyrol, Italy.
• Sapperlot International Youth Theatre Festival – Brixen, TyrolItaly (in 2000, 2002 & 2004)  CYT= won the prize for best production in 2000.

LATVIA

• Rezekne International Festival - Lativa 2004

UK

• National Youth Arts Festival - N. Devon, UK  (87/88/89/92/94/98/99)     
• Edinburgh Fringe Festival  - (88/90/91)                                 

• Workshops with international & national tutors from:
  The RSC, Royal National Theatre, Academic Theatre Vilnius Lithuania, Tag Theatre Venice, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Richmond USA, along with many other freelance drama specialists.

• Range of Performance work
  From text based classics to modern contemporary playwrights and devised work including such scripts as:
  Scully, Blood Brothers, Look Back in Anger, Macbeth, They Shoot Horses Don’t They, Archangels Don’t Play Pinball, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, Anna Karenina, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Alice in Wonderland, The Bar Mitzvah Boy, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.  Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Cyrano De Bergerac, Daisy Pulls it Off, Ptang Yang Kipperbang, The Snow Queen & Stags & Hens

• Performance Venues
  CYT stages shows at both The Newhampton Arts Centre & Wolverhampton University Arena Theatre.
  We have also staged six very successful productions at The Grand Theatre including; The specially commissioned The Supreme Sunbeam (2007)The Mill on the Floss (1997), Toad of Toad Hall (1997), A Tale of Two Cities (1996) A Midsummer Nights Dream (1995) & Jungle Book (1990)
  Performances are also staged in local School/Community Venues & Street theatre locations.

• Film & TV Work
  In 1985, CYT was selected from 500 groups around the country to devise and create a half hour TV drama as the English film in an International Film Series entitled “It’s Our World” The film -  “It’s Good ‘Ere ‘Innit” was shown not just on Channel 4,  but also in Japan, Israel & Australia.  
  Local film and TV companies frequently contact CYT and members have been involved in films such as Merchant Ivory’s The Feast of July and TV programmes such as Crimewatch, Jupiter Moon, The Bill & The People’s Millions