National Youth

Theatre of Wales

Bookings to audition for National Youth Theatre of Wales (NYTW) in 2025 are NOW OPEN! 

Deadline: Thursday 27 March.

See programme below.

Whether you are a returning to NYTW or dipping your toe in for the first time the NYTW 2025 membership offers an unprecedented level of professional performance and training experiences.   

This year we are focusing on giving more young people a wider and expanded training offer with an opportunity to develop exciting plans for the NYTW  50th year anniversary production planned for 2026. Although we are not touring a NYTW production this year this doesn’t mean you won’t be flexing your performing and devising muscles as you’ll work with an exceptional team of directors, vocal and movement coaches who will turbo charge your performance skillset.   

A note from the NYTW Producer

We have developed 5 Programme Strands for NYTW 2025 that all members will experience with options to specialise further in some areas if you are offered a place. Working with our industry partners Theatr Clwyd and Wales Millennium Centre, S4C’s Yr Egin, Ffilm Cymru (alongside leading creatives from Wales and beyond) we’ll be looking at off stage skills such as scriptwriting for stage and screen, devising and delving into new ways of performing and working in the digital immersive story telling field. We’ll also introduce specialist freelance skills such as audio description, captioning, and sounds design. All of which will hone essential performance skills and industry knowledge in the uniquely supportive and friendly residential experience, bringing young people together from all over Wales together to work and socialise together.   

Our group workshop style auditions will be as welcoming and supportive as ever so please do check-out the ‘What to Prepare’ document below and I hope to see you at one of the dates soon.   

Megan Childs

National Youth Theatre of Wales Producer

The NYTW 2025 Programme

NYTW Members will take advantage of 3 training and development residential experiences across Wales between June and November 2025 where you will:

  • Connect and work with the best companies and artists from Wales and beyond, including our key industry partners Theatr Clwyd, and Wales Millennium Centre.

  • Boost your skillset and confidence as performers in workshops and masterclasses delivered by vocal coaches, movement directors, directors, writers, casting agents, sound designers, digital storytellers, and much much more…

  • Make friends for life and enjoy our varied social programme 

  • See brilliant work and get insight from professional creative teams. 

  • Help us shape the 2026 Anniversary production.  

  • Work and play in a proudly bilingual environment. 

NYTW Residency Dates

27 – 29 June: Wales Millennium Centre - Cardiff 

25 – 30 August: Yr Egin + Trinity St David’s University – Carmarthen  

30 October – 2 November: Theatr Clwyd – Mold

The 5 Programme Strands

All of the above are delivered through our 5 Programme Strands that NYTW members will experience with options to specialise further in some areas if offered a place. 

Stage and Screen Craft

Essential acting skills to turbo charge your progression as a performer.

The Joy of Making 

Get to grips with devising and co-creation, writing and digital immersive storytelling.

Pathways+   

Sessions with industry professionals to help with the next step of your training or career progression.

Backstage and Screen Skills  

Explore new ways of working behind the scenes and adding to your skills toolbox.

  

Lab 50

Explore ideas, styles, and staging in the rehearsal room with writers and directors to shape and be a part of our 50th-year anniversary performance, in 2026.

  1. Check out what to expect at an audition and what you need to prepare here.

How To Apply To Become A NYTW Member…

2. Check out our audition locations and dates below. 

3. Book your audition.

Our auditions are run as friendly and supportive three-hour workshops and we can help with audition costs as well as the membership fees as laid out on our bursary page. We will also ask you for any access needs when you book your audition. Get in touch if you have any questions nyaw@nyaw.org.uk.

Key Dates…

Apply by:

27 March

Auditions:

29 March – 13 April

Results:

W/C 28 April

Audition Locations and Dates

Saturday 29 March - Swansea (AM + PM)

Sunday 30 March - Cardiff (AM + PM)

Tuesday 1 April - Carmarthen (Evening)

Wednesday 2 April - Aberystwyth (Evening)

Thursday 3 April - Newtown (Evening)

Friday 4 April - Bangor (Evening)

Saturday 5 April - Mold (AM) + Wrexham (PM)

Tuesday 8 April - Merthyr Tudful (Evening)

Wednesday 9 April - Pontypridd (Evening)

Friday 11 April - Cardiff (Evening)

Saturday 12 April - Newport (AM) + Cardiff (PM)

Sunday 13 April - Cardiff (AM) + Online (PM)

  • £600

    This fee is a contribution towards your tuition costs, accommodation, food and board, travel within the residency and social activities. The full value received by each individual is over £2,500 - but thanks to the generous support from our funders and supporters, we subsidise a significant part of the costs for everyone offered a place in a national ensemble.

    Our Bursary Fund could help to cover some or all of the membership fees, so that no-one is deterred from applying for the NYAW Ensembles for financial reasons. If you have an annual household income of less than £70,000, you could be eligible for financial support.

    Additionally with support from The Leverhulme Trust, we can offer full Fee Waivers and additional support towards travel expenses and other costs associated with NYAW membership for those who need it most. Visit NYAW BURSARY FUND for full information including how to claim help toward audition costs and membership fees.

  • Our Bursary Fund could help to cover some or all of the membership fees, so that no-one is deterred from applying for the NYAW Ensembles for financial reasons. If you have an annual household income of less than £70,000, you could be eligible for financial support. Visit NYAW BURSARY FUND for full information including how to claim help toward audition costs and membership fees.

  • NYAW accepts applications from people aged 16 – 22 who live/study full-time in Wales or were born in Wales.    

    You may be… 

    • studying or taking part in drama/performance in your school or college  

    • at drama school and preparing for the next step in your career 

    • taking part in youth theatre or musical theatre in your area  

    • a passionate creative who’s curious about behind the scenes storytelling and backstage skills. 

    For the 2025 residencies participants must be aged between 16 and 22 on 31 August 2025. This means that you may be able to audition aged 15, as long as you will be 16 by this date.   

    NYAW reserves the right to exclude anyone from taking part in its ensembles at its reasonable discretion, to be exercised by senior staff or trustees. 

    For any questions about our eligibility criteria, please email us at: nyaw@nyaw.org.uk.   

Produced with the support of the Welsh Government via Creative Wales.