Theatr Clwyd and National Youth Theatre of Wales offering Professional Pathways for young people across Wales this summer

Theatr Clwyd and National Youth Theatre of Wales have been working together for 6 years providing unique opportunities for young people across Wales and this year will be no exception.

This summer they will host their 2024 Professional Pathways Residency Programme at Theatr Clwyd. Professional Pathways is open to 16–22-year-olds, who want to gain performance skills and learn about the theatre industry including backstage roles. During the 3-day residency at Theatr Clwyd (28 June-1 July), 50 young people will go behind the scenes on the venue’s summer production of Rope by Patrick Hamilton. They will work with the professional creative teams on the show and see first-hand how it is made. There will also beworkshops on performance and audition skills, and an introduction to backstage including set and costume design, lighting and sound design and stage management. The residency will be bi-lingual and encourages anyone to apply who has an interest in theatre.

Evan Dawson, CEO of National Youth Arts Wales said: “Wales has such an exciting theatrical tradition, but it’s difficult for young people to understand the wide range of different on-stage and backstage careers they could follow. This partnership of National Youth Theatre Wales with Theatr Clwyd is a wonderful opportunity to inspire, support and connect our next generation of actors, stage managers, lighting designers, sound engineers, costume-makers, producers and more!”

Already this year National Youth Theatre Wales and Theatr Clwyd have gone into 8 schools across North and South Wales delivering workshops to give an insight into what to expect at the auditions and the Professional Pathways residency.

 Previous residency participants have said: “Professional Pathways is called that for a reason, you really do get taught by, and treated as a professional. You get taught the skills that you definitely will need to move forward within the arts.”

“There are so many different things I’ve learnt and I’ve realised that it isn't just a narrow one-way into the industry there's so many different paths and different journeys that people are on here”

(Professional Pathways Easter Residency 2023 at Wales Millennium Centre)

Gwennan Mair, Communities, Wellbeing and Education Director at Theatr Clwyd said of the partnership: “We are delighted to continue to grow opportunities for young people all over Wales with National Youth Theatre Wales. Together we will strive to open the opportunities to all parts of Wales and to ensure we grow all elements of theatre making!”

Bookings for the audition workshops for the residency and other NYTW member opportunities are open until February 27 with auditions taking place across Wales from 9 March – 25 March in multiple locations with an option for online sessions via zoom. For more information on how to apply and what to expect from the audition workshop visit: https://www.nyaw.org.uk/auditions