‘The Biggest Youth Theatre Festival on the Planet’: National Theatre Youth Connections

Abstract

In this chapter Busby explores Youth Connections which forms part of the UK’s National Theatre’s provision for young people. Connections was first launched in 1993 and since then each year the production team has commissioned ten professional and widely respected playwrights to write a play for 13–19 year-olds. To date it has published over 160 plays and over 50,000 young actors have taken part in the project. This chapter considers this key component of the National Theatre community work in four ways. First, Busby discusses the value of youth theatre. Second she focuses on the logistics of Connections itself. Third is a consideration of the position of Connections both within the National Theatre and the wider cultural agenda in the UK. Fourth the potential of the scheme to contribute to personal and social transformation for the participants is explored.