“People Who Do Theatre Are a Bit Posh”: Examining the Impact of Class and Ethnicity on Engagement with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s Youth Theatre (The Young REP)

Abstract

This chapter will explore the role that class and ethnicity have on young people’s engagement with the Birmingham Repertory theatre, UK and it’s youth theatre, The Young REP. Through an examination of spatial dynamics it will investigate the relationships that the groups had within the theatre building and the effect that insider access has on the participants’ sense of belonging (or not) in the theatre building. This chapter focuses on Arts and Humanities Research (AHRC) funded Collaborative Doctoral research carried out in 2010 with three of nine youth theatre groups organised by The Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The REP). The REP is a major producing theatre in the centre of a large multicultural city. Forty-two percent of residents are from an ethnic group other than White and 22% of residents were born outside the UK, compared with 14% in England and 11% in the West Midlands region. Alongside geographical, cultural and financial barriers, there are perceptual barriers to accessing the theatre building. In order to explore the youth theatre members’ relationships to the theatre, the study took the form of a mixed methods exploratory case study. This chapter will share the findings of some of the more innovative practical research methods which were utilised which included photography, art and drama.