The youth board revolution

Whether a theatre is large or small, listening to the voice of its young people is crucial for securing the venue's future community. Youth advisory boards are becoming much more commonplace in theatres, and are widely recognised as great tools for communicating more directly with locals.

A social lasso

I spoke to Amy (they/them) who is a member of the newly established Young Lyric Associates at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. This is an appointed group of young people aged 16–25 who meet twice a month to discuss how the Lyric can improve their appeal to the local youth, improving diversity in both the decision-makers and also what is represented on stage. The group have influence over the Reuben Foundation Wing and how the Lyric team utilises that space, as well as what classes and performances are put on in the venue over the coming year.

Amy is proudly nonbinary, and passionately reiterates that ‘different races, classes, LGBT identities are represented through Young Lyric Associates', mirroring the people who live in West London. They describe the group as a ‘lasso that encompasses the pool of young people who use the theatre, meaning there is no middleman. No communication barrier’. Amy says the magic is in the group ‘discussing what [they] want and actively being able to change it, and seeing changes happening’, in an empowering way.

‘A golden vein of information’

The group was only appointed in July, but they have already taken baby steps towards their ever-growing and transitioning goals. ‘Young people aren't bound by tradition like previous generations have been,’ says Amy. ‘I think the work we do as a group 100 per cent reflects the ever-changing minds, hearts and souls of young people.’ Amy has gained new friendships through the scheme, forming a supportive community who visit each other's productions and exhibitions.

When asked if they had a message for theatres without a youth board, Amy springs into action, expressively exclaiming ‘what have you got to lose? I think if you have an advisory board of young people who are actually representative of the different spheres of society, you're tapping into a golden vein of information.’ Passion exudes from Amy when they speak, and their belief that ‘young people can breathe fresh life into theatres' is clear from just one conversation with the board member.

Director of Young Lyric, Rob Lehmann (he/him), emphasised that the group are the ‘future leaders of our industry and ambassadors for our local community’. Emphasising the mutually beneficial relationship they have created, Lehmann says: ‘This initiative provides young people with the agency to influence areas of the Lyric that matter to them, while also offering opportunities to develop their leadership skills, dramaturgy and gain further experience alongside leading industry professionals'.

Utilising technology

Each youth advisory board varies in approach and tactic, as Veronika (she/her), a beaming member of Chichester Festival Theatre's (CFT) Youth Advisory Board, tells me. CFT launched their board in October 2020, meaning Veronika has been working collaboratively with the team throughout the pandemic. The challenge of the past year has provoked new ways of thinking for both the theatre and the youth board, as Veronika explains: ‘We thought: what is something most young people have? A phone. What is one of the most used apps at the moment? TikTok. So, we went down that route, and we have worked really hard this year on our online presence, gaining momentum and followers and developing a clear line of communication between young people and us, as well as us and the theatre.’

For now, and for the future

‘Young people are the future of theatre,’ Veronika reiterates. ‘They are the future press officers, producers, technicians, set designers, marketing officers, actors, musicians, poets – the whole lot. There are so many fulfilling and exciting roles that make up the beautiful thing that is theatre, and young people are part of that, but you are not going to have a theatre if you've got nobody to pass it on to.’

What has become clear through speaking to these representatives is that by creating a youth board you are establishing a symbiotic relationship with young people. Not only are venues gaining an insight into what the community wants to see, they are also providing future generations with experience in the field of creative leadership. At a time where investment in the arts is a sensitive and concerning topic, encouraging young people to enter creative career paths is crucial. Venues that fail to realise the strength in the youth voice will be left behind, as only good things can come from this type of collaboration.

Youth boards can be found in theatres across the country, including:

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre: lyric.co.uk/young-lyric/next-generation/young-lyric-associates

Chichester Festival Theatre: cft.org.uk/news/cft-creates-youth-advisory-board

The Almeida: almeida.co.uk/youth-advisory-board

Royal Court Theatre: royalcourttheatre.com/collection/meet-youth-board

National Theatre: www.nyt.org.uk/about-us/youth-trustees

Nottingham Playhouse: nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/get-involved/young-people/young-adults/youth-board

Wales Millennium Centre: wmc.org.uk/en/what-we-do/youth-collective

Strange Town Theatre Scotland: strangetown.org.uk/about-us/overview/our-board