High flyers

Oxford Youth Theatre (OYT), based at Pegasus Theatre, has been in existence since 1975. We specialise in new performance with young people and professional artists. We currently work with about 400 6–19 year olds in projects leading to performances at the theatre, and involve them in regular reviews and evaluations. Our venue is about to undergo a major redevelopment and will close for 18 months in April 2009 for building works, which has given us a great opportunity to introduce a new programme for our core 14–19 youth theatre members. The three new youth companies specialise in drama, dance or technical theatre. Over the course of a year they will not only be learning professional techniques in their chosen field, but working towards a Bronze or Silver Arts Award. Each company will then take new work on tour to national and international festivals.

The crucial thing is that our programme happily coincides with the establishment of an award that acknowledges the work that we have been doing at Pegasus for the past 30 years. Our young people have been on a journey with us and are ready to analyse what and how they have learnt. The Arts Award has been created to encompass the many ways in which creativity is taught and learnt. Within such an open structure we feel we are not forcing young people to take extra qualifications, but rather are rewarding them for the skills they already have and are continually developing. We did not intend to offer the Silver Award so soon, but the Production Company members all wanted to take the award at that level, because the work they’re tackling is directly related to its requirements. The Award brief manages to acknowledge that young people learn more when they are having fun – something arts organisations have learnt over the years. 17 year-old Seyram Amoako is very enthusiastic about being part of the new scheme. “This is my last year in Oxford and I thought it would be really interesting to work with professionals – I’m interested in directing and choreography in plays. I’m not sure what I want to do yet but I really enjoy writing and I love the idea of going to other countries to perform.”
Within the company structure, young people undertaking the Arts Award will be trained as workshop leaders in their own right. They will help to lead workshops with secondary school pupils in October. This process is the first step in supporting the development of these young people as emerging artists – directors, choreographers and designers. We will be offering work placements assisting with younger groups at the theatre, and later paid employment with us, increasing our pool of tutoring staff. We are also encouraging these young artists to think about establishing companies and creating work of their own. These are the young people who, we believe, will be the creative leaders of the future: passionate arts ambassadors who have strong, welldeveloped ideas and enough commitment and confidence to take them forward. The enthusiasm with which the young members are adopting the programme gives us great hope that it will be a success, and, who knows, perhaps we are hothousing the next culture minister right here.