over 75 years of theatre making
Theatre for young people by young people
Young People’s Theatre, Newcastle, Inc. (YPT) is the premier theatrical training institution for youth in the Hunter. We continue to provide training and performance opportunities for young people between the ages of 8 and 18 as we have done for over 75 years.
Our theatre school has more than 400 students attending weekly classes and our theatre company stages as many as 8 productions each year.
YPT provides training and mentoring in acting, singing, dance, musical theatre, lighting, sound, props, writing, directing and more! In addition to training, we provide opportunities for young people to practice their theatrical crafts in our productions.
Our history is studded with stories of high achievement and potential disaster. From the establishment of a permanent base in Lindsay Street Hamilton in the early 1970s to the loss of our theatre buildings in a devastating fire in September 1995.
The Hunter’s theatrical icon, Young People’s Theatre, is the living fulfilment of a dream born in 1948 and grown during the 1950s in the minds of the Novocastrian theatrical team, William and Betty Ford. YPT continues to foster their aim of “theatre for young people by young people” in both class and performance environments.
YPT’s Objectives
YPT’s objectives demonstrate our focus on the development of young people in a performance context and, in so doing, realising the hopes and dreams of our founders, William and Betty Ford.
THE OBJECTIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE NEWCASTLE INCORPORATED ARE TO:
- Promote high quality children’s theatre, whether this be theatre by children, theatre for children, or both
- Operate a Theatre School to provide theatre skills training for young people
- Provide an annual season of dramatic and/or musical works as a practical outlet for YPT Theatre School students
- Provide associated theatre skills activities to further develop student skills and extend performance opportunities
- Provide opportunities for disengaged young people to achieve and to develop self confidence
- Operate an adult theatre group, under the YPT umbrella, to provide post school opportunities in performance and production
The Ford vision of “Theatre for young people by young people” continues to be realised. The casts, stage and technical crews are comprised of students. So ... “the spirit lives on”.
General Meetings are held at the theatre regularly throughout the year and can be attended by any Adult Member.
Interested parties and especially Parents/Family Members are encouraged to become Adult Members, to attend the meetings and to participate in running the organisation.
