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Young conservatives

Michael Bewick reflects on what young audiences really want

Youth ? the chimera of audience development ? or not. We are continually told that we want them ? in our audience that is ? rather like we want social inclusion, cultural diversity and all the other expressions referring to market segments which appear to shun our theatres in a wilful manner.

Youth, however, are just like anyone else; give them what they want and they will come. Understand that they have their own culture and they will pay good money for a ticket. Here?s the advertisement ? at The Corn Exchange we have seen the proportion of our audience made up of 15-24 year olds increase from 2,000 to 4,800 over three years ? not because we were radical but because we realised that this is a group which is just as conservative, if not more so, than anyone else.

How distressed was I when at our first youth forum meeting the general consensus was that the best piece of theatre any of them had seen was Blood Brothers. One lone voice stood up for Frantic Assembly? how I loved that girl. When we got onto music however, the consensus was clear. Rebellion in West Berkshire when you are young, affluent, white, middle class and already in possession of a full set of material possessions consists of nu-thrash punk metal. The desire to get into a mosh pit ? think back to 70s pogo-ing with a dash of violence ? was universal. This was their culture, very clearly not a mediated form of our own.

So began the tricky bit: persuading a highly sceptical staff that they really wanted to welcome 500 teenagers and to provide their renowned hospitality to bands with names such as Sticky Pooh and Wheatus. Family friendly is a doddle compared to youth friendly ? but who?d have thought that Margaret, a Trustee, retired nurse and volunteer steward would become friend to a whole new generation by nursing most of them through episodes of projectile vomiting ? brought on, I would like to add, by necking large quantities of alcohol prior to entering the building. Although how they get to drink that much between being dropped off round the corner in a Volvo and passing the bouncers is beyond me.

Of course some of the youth audience are into contemporary dance and there is no doubt that they love Northern Stage more than they like traditional dramatic presentations. But doesn?t that just make them like everyone else? The reason we have mixed-programme venues is to provide something for everyone. The reason repertory theatres have Ayckbourn and Ravenhill (although maybe that?s another discussion) is to provide for their audiences across the board. So, yes, we seek out drama and dance companies with styles and themes suitable for young people, and yes we try and cross young people over from Vex Red to Volatile, but we don?t expect them all to make the journey.

Accept that young people are as varied as we are and that they have a culture of their own. That is the way we can bring them to the live arts. We might not get them into our live arts but then why should they listen to us: it won?t be our culture forever.


Michael Bewick is Director of The Corn Exchange Newbury e: michaelb@cornexchangenew.co.uk; w: http://www.cornexchangenew.co.uk