YESYESNONO’s Young Dramaturg initiative promises ‘biggest show yet’

Experimental theatre company YESYESNONO is bringing back its Young Dramaturgs initiative for the third time, supporting a cohort of 16 to 21-year-olds to become theatremakers. 

This year, the group has promised to make its ‘biggest show yet’, focusing on the topic of political revolution. 

Based in both Manchester and London, the initiative will be led by artist Sam Ward and producer Rhian Davies. 

All those participating will be paid the London Living Wage for four ‘introduction to dramaturgy’ workshops throughout February, which will focus on structure, character and form.

‘The fact is that certain percentiles of the population – because of the privilege they have, the schools they go to, the books they read and the experiences they have early on – gain certain foundational skills and knowledge in creative writing much earlier than others,’ said Davies on Ward on the motivation behind the scheme. 

‘We are aiming to redress that balance, even in a small way, by teaching these concrete skills. We are upskilling cohorts of young people with diverse lived experiences, often from under-represented communities, and are bringing their voices into our work.’