Young Touring Company 2016


A unique and intensive training opportunity for young artists to create and perform a play about young people.

We have positions open for:
Actors and
Backstage Assistants

To take part you need to be:

  • 16-24 years old
  • Live or learn in Lewisham
  • NOT in full-time education or employment
  • Passionate about creating new theatre
  • A supportive team member
  • Punctual and reliable
  • Hardworking and open minded
  • Available for ALL rehearsal and performance dates

What’s involved?

Working as part of a creative team, you will help develop, produce, market, and present a new piece of Forum Theatre.
You will tour the show to schools and community centres in Lewisham
You will receive training and support by a team of professional theatre artists.
You will gain valuable skills, as well as a credit for your CV.

The position is voluntary, but we will provide expenses during rehearsals, and an apprentice fee for performance days.

Auditions:

28th Jan and 4th February, 1pm—4pm

Rehearsals:

Wednesdays and Thursdays (plus 2x Mondays)10th February to 7th March
10am—5pm

Performances:

8 performances between 9th and 17th March

For more information or to register your interest contact Marilyn at:
stepup@lewishamyouththeatre.com or 020 8690 3428

Placements opportunities at LYT

Thank you to our Bristol Plumber for sponsoring this page through their Bristol Plumbers donation.

Lewisham Youth Theatre Seeks Placements & Volunteers to support our programmes Every year, LYT offers placement and work experience opportunities that help volunteers develop their skills and give back to their communities.  This year, we have several exciting projects that you can get involved with. We are currently seeking support in the following roles:

Directing Assistants to work closely with the projects’ Lead Directors to help plan, support and deliver drama workshops and rehearsals. This hands-on role includes opportunities to lead exercises, direct small group work and provide pastoral care for the participants. The role will particularly those interested in giving back to their community, including students, recent graduates or those developing their youth arts practice, who are interested in learning facilitation techniques, directing, youth theatre planning and building up their CVs in youth arts.

Assistant Designers to assist on the creation of the set and costumes for our youth theatre productions. This is a hands-on role providing opportunities to work with a professional designer to make set, props and costume. The role will suit students or recent graduates with experience of theatre design and making, and an interest in developing their skills and design portforlios. Assistant Stage Managers to work with the Stage Manager to ensure the smooth running of the backstage elements of our productions, including supporting on props, set, sound and projection.

Technical Theatre Workshop Assistants: This year, LYT is delivering a new programme to train young people age 13-17 in technical theatre.  We’re seeking volunteers with some knowledge of backstage work (including lighting, sound, props, design and stage management) to support our Production team in delivering these sessions.  

FIND OUT MORE:

Read full role desciptions on our volunteering page.

Complete a volunteer application form and return to us by email. For more information on the project and the roles, please contact Natalie on 020 86318 2508

Celebrate Catford


Find out what’s on in a week of events celebrating Catford.

Celebrate Catford

A week of events celebrating the history, people and places of Catford leading to Lewisham Youth Theatre’s promenade performance Catford Tales.

Events

Booking for all ticketed events at
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/lewishamyouththeatre
Information: 020 8690 3428 / Email / Facebook / Twitter

Catford Pub Quiz
Tuesday 21st July, 8pm
Catford Constitutional Club, Catford Broadway SE6 4SP

What famous silent movie star was from Catford?  Which two infamous 60s gangs had a shootout in Catford? Come test your knowledge of all things Catford at the Constitutional Club’s quiz night.

Broadway Silent Movie Night
Wednesday 22nd July, 7.30pm
Broadway Theatre, Catford

The Broadway Theatre, Catford was opened in 1932 as a silent movie house, and still has one of the few working Compton Organs remaining in situ in the UK. Join expert Peter Hammond and organist Richard Hills as they show you the inner workings of the Organ’s instrument loft, screened live as the organ is playing. Then, enjoy a silent movie short as it was meant to be experienced – with the accompaniment of the Compton Organ.

Featuring slapstick classic Blue Bottles (1928) starring Catford’s own Elsa Lanchester (best known as Bride of Frankenstein), directed by Ivor Montagu and written by Frank Wells from as story by H.G. Wells.

TICKETS: £12 / £10 concession

Event supported by Ashton Bentley Concepts
http://www.ashtonbentley.com/

Broadway Stories
Historical Talk by Chris Hare and Martin Costello (FREE EVENT)
Thursday 23rd July, 7.30pm
Broadway Theatre Studio, Catford

Join raconteur Chris Hare and the Broadway Theatre’s General Manager, Martin Costello, for a hilarious evening of anecdotes about the Broadway’s varied past. From Morecambe & Wise and Tommy Cooper to Roy Orbison, the Temptations and Maya Angelou, Chris and Martin will regale you with fly-on-the-wall stories of the acts that have graced Catford’s Broadway Theatre.

Presented in association with the Lewisham Local History Society as part of a week of events celebrating the history of Catford.

This is a free event, but space is limited and booking is essential.

Catford Tales
A promenade theatrical event by, for and about the people and places of Catford
Friday 24th July, 7.30pm
Saturday 25th July, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Broadway Theatre, Catford

Today’s Catford in South East London is often best known as the place one drives through on the South Circular.  But the area was once a thriving hub of music, night life, shopping and civic campaigning.  Could Catford be transformed again?

Catford Tales is a community performance that celebrates the past, present and future of Catford.  Join over 60 community performers of all ages as they transform Catford Town Centre in a promenade theatrical event, interweaving verbatim testimony, historical events and modern voices.

Tickets: £8 / £5 concession

FREE EXHIBITIONS

Hidden Catford
From 13th July
Catford Constitutional Club, Catford Broadway SE6 4SP

Photography by Kevin Ireland, Cathy Myers and Bridie O’Sullivan
 http://catfordconstitutionalclub.com/

People’s Patchwork
From 20th July
Catford Library, Laurence House, 1 Catford Road SE6 4RU

If you had one patch to tell a story, what story would you tell? Come see a patchwork quilt that captures the richness of Lewisham residents’ stories and explores what Lewisham means to us all.   http://peoplespatchwork.blogspot.co.uk/

Catford Cats
From 20th July
Lewisham Civic Suite, Catford Road

An exhibition of artwork from Community Education Lewisham’s learners, inspired by cats.
 http://icel.lewisham.gov.uk/

Project Funders:

PrintHLFHI_2747Lewish square RGB

Core Supporters:

Children in Need logoBig Lot Logo_lrg_blue_forWordSJP BlueLogoNEW Lloyds Foundation EW colour

Presenting Partners:

EEA_Lockup_OutlinedSaigonFoodsAB logo1CCC Logo-1CMYK

A story of civic transformation


Announcing Catford Tales and a week of events celebrating Catford

PRESS RELEASE

PDF Version

A Story of Civic Transformation:

Lewisham Youth Theatre’s ‘Catford Tales’ builds local pride;

Community performance and week of events celebrating the

past, present and future of Catford.

Over 60 community performers and artists will transform the town centre in a promenade theatrical event through the historic Broadway Theatre, Catford shopping centre and council buildings on 24th/25th July 2015.

Lewisham, London, May 2015

Today’s Catford in South East London is often best known as the place one drives through on the South Circular. But the area was once a thriving hub of music, night life, shopping and civic campaigning. Could Catford be transformed again?

‘Catford Tales’ interweaves verbatim testimony from local community members with historical events to celebrate the changing face of Catford. Initiated by Lewisham Youth Theatre’s Senior performance groups, the play now involves over 60 performers of all ages and includes contributions from local artists, photographers and musicians. Starting from the historic Broadway Theatre, audiences will follow a dynamic trail of performances around Catford town centre.

The play is complemented by a week of activities celebrating Catford, including: a Silent Movie Night showcasing one of the few surviving Compton Organs; Historic Talks; Photographic and Artistic Exhibition; Workshops and Projects from local artists.

Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, says, “I believe this project to be a wonderful opportunity to help build a positive perception of Catford, to expand the community’s pride in the local area and to harness the local people’s involvement in considering what they want their community to be in the future.”

As a Centre of Excellence for youth and community arts, Lewisham Youth Theatre has drawn together organizations across sectors and art forms to realise ‘Catford Tales’. Contributors to the project include outdoor visual arts specialists Emergency Exit Arts and designer Patrick Bullock.

Performances: Friday 24th July, 7.30pm and Saturday 25th July, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

A week of celebrations:From 20th July, programme of activities to be announced

Tickets/Information: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/lewishamyouththeatre or 020 8690 3428

About Lewisham Youth Theatre: Since 1987, Lewisham Youth Theatre (LYT) has provided free drama activities and performance projects to young people aged 8-24 in Lewisham. Our aim is that all young people, regardless of background or ability, have access to high quality arts provision that builds their confidence, inspires them and increases their life chances. In the last year, the charity has engaged 170 young people in sustained activities at the Broadway Theatre in Catford and reached over 1000 young people through outreach sessions.

LYT announces Heritage Lottery funding

Lewisham Youth Theatre wins Heritage Lottery funding to build Catford’s community pride.

Heritage Lottery Fund awards Lewisham Youth Theatre (LYT) £31,500 for Catford Tales – a community history performance that will showcase Catford’s past, present and hopes for the future.

Incorporating local resident’s memories and verbatim testimony, young people and community members will join together in Catford Town Centre in July 2015 for a celebration of the area’s history and the changing face of Catford.

Lewisham, London, October 2014

Once a thriving centre for shopping and entertainment, today’s Catford is often best known as the place one drives through on the South Circular. But Catford is about to be regenerated, with plans to rebuild a large portion of the town centre. Before this new phase of the area begins, a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled Lewisham Youth Theatre (LYT) to deliver Catford Tales, which will bring local people together to learn about Catford’s history and share their memories and experiences of the area.

Gordon Dennington, Chair of Lewisham Historical Society expressed why the project is important to the Catford Community: “I’m an old Catfordian myself and I am well aware the place has always had a bad press …So it’s a refreshing change to find something positive being done for it.”

With over 25 years of experience of creating theatre with and for the Lewisham community, LYT will draw together partners from across sectors to create Catford Tales. Partners include: Emergency Exit Arts, Lewisham Archives, Lewisham Council’s Regeneration Team, The Broadway Theatre and the Catford Constitutional Club.

In October 2014, LYT’s Senior Youth Theatre will begin researching local history and capturing oral history from local residents of all ages. From the evacuations during World War II to the vibrant nightlife of Catford in the 1960’s; from the gothic old Town Hall and St. Laurence Church to the building of the town centre as it currently stands, LYT’s young people will transform these discoveries into a play. Catford Tales will be performed by young people and community members in a site-specific production through Catford Town Centre in July 2015.

LYT’s Artistic Director Helen Stanley says, “We’re overjoyed that the support from Heritage Lottery Fund will allow us to work with the community to build more positivity towards the local area, and to get people more involved with what’s going on in Catford today.”

Through partnership with the Lewisham Archives, the oral histories collected will be archived and saved to offer future generations an insight into the history of Catford, and a snapshot of the community as it exists today.

Since 1989, Lewisham Youth Theatre (LYT) has provided free drama activities and performance projects to young people aged 8-24 in Lewisham. Our aim is that all young people, regardless of background or ability, have access to high quality arts provision that builds their confidence, inspires them and increases their life chances. In the last year, the charity has engaged 170 young people in sustained activities at the Broadway Theatre in Catford and reached over 1000 young people through outreach sessions.

To read or download this press release in PDF format please click here.