For fifty five years National Youth Theatre has been discovering epic talent: enabling young people to discover their voices, describe their lives and grasp opportunities for change through dynamic training and ambitious productions.

Our capacity to illuminate the raw talent of hundreds of thousands of young people has placed us at the heart of the nation’s cultural heritage.

At a time when our nation’s young people wonder whether they will have the same opportunity to achieve their dreams as those before them, there is a greater need than ever for us to invest in the aspiration and potential of our young.

From Glasgow to Shanghai, in the past three months we have worked with 24,500 young people. This includes hundreds of young people that we have targeted and engaged with who have experience of homelessness, may be at risk of carrying a knife or are currently battling unemployment.

We invest in their training, encourage them to realise their potential and showcase their talent on professional platforms across the UK and around the world.

Our international programme demonstrates that the arts are a perfect platform from which to transform lives and give unique opportunities to our young people.

Investing in Britain’s youth has already paid dividends internationally and will continue to in the future as our young NYT members become global citizens in emerging markets such as China, the UAE and beyond.

Their experience and new found confidence is truly life changing.

But whatever and wherever the National Youth Theatre is, its core mantra has to be excellence, as we want young people to aspire to be the best they possibly can. The most effective way of showcasing their aspiration is what lies at the very heart of what we do - communicating a good story.

Over the past fifty five years and indeed the past few months, National Youth Theatre has made history by enriching, entertaining and ultimately changing lives for the better.

It must never be allowed to be just history.

Paul Roseby

Artistic Director