Playing a part: the impact of youth theatre on young people's personal and social development

Abstract

This article describes the main findings of a study of youth theatre commissioned by the National Association of Youth Theatres (NAYT), funded by Arts Council England (ACE) and carried out by the Centre for Applied Theatre Research (CATR). The study explored the impact of taking part in youth theatre on young people's personal and social development. Questionnaires, qualitative interviews and participatory/creative research workshops were used to investigate staff and participants’ experiences of youth theatre. In addition, a review of youth theatre provision in England (UK) was carried out. The term ‘youth theatre’ describes a wide variety of organizations that engage young people in theatre-related activities in their own time. The research findings suggest that youth theatre has a number of important functions for young people, positively contributing to their personal and social development. The findings are placed in the context of youth transitions research that has identified the skills, capacities and resources that help young people make successful transitions to adulthood in the current social and economic climate. A ‘theory of youth theatre’ is presented, based on analysis of qualitative data and exploration of theoretical concepts drawn from role theory and performance theory. Consideration of the data in conjunction with other research and theoretical concepts lead the authors to suggest that effective youth theatres employ a delivery style, method and process that can make an important contribution to young people's transitions to adulthood in the current climate. The article critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of the study and explores the place of the research in the wider context of applied research in the arts.