The 2008 Studios are now complete! This year, more people took part in The Studio than ever before, and The Studio visited seven cities around the UK. 

The Studio will be back - and bigger than ever - in 2009. To be the first to hear when we have confirmed the dates, make sure you join our email list and stay tuned to the website.

So, what is The Studio?

If you’re keen on acting or singing or dancing or all three; if you love drama or musical theatre; if you play an instrument at whatever grade; if you're looking for an amazing summer holiday project, then The Studio is for you!

We’ve put together top teams of directors, composers and choreographers who will give you the chance to work together for a week to create a brand new piece of theatre. You don’t have to audition - anyone can sign up, regardless of experience! All we ask for is enthusiasm. Many people have enjoyed their time at The Studio so much they've come back for more, year on year.

They're residential projects - so it's not a problem if you don't live close to one of those cities. You'll be staying over with everyone else on the project, in schools or University campuses. All participants will automatically receive a DVD of their Studio production. To order additional DVDs, T-shirts or Programmes, please click here.

You'll make new friends, learn new skills, and have an amazing time!

In 2008 there were courses in Banbury, Edinburgh, Belfast, Leeds, Hemel Hempstead, Ascot and Salisbury.

10 reasons why you should join The Studio...

1. Working with top professional theatre people – check out our Staff to see who they are. They'll be leading your artistic work for the week, and are more than happy to answer any questions you have about the world of performing arts. You'll also be looked after by our highly trained pastoral team.
2. Making new friends – this is the big one, lifetime friends stay together on our Discussion Forum, Facebook and MySpace webpages.
3. Building confidence – doing things you thought you could never do, in a non-scary environment! Remember, everyone's in the same boat!
4. Learning new skills – devising, improvising, lyric writing, martial arts, puppeteering - all sorts!
5. Having a fun holiday – a brilliant way to spend a week during your Summer break.
6. Getting away from home and being independent – if you’ve never done it before, you’ll never look back after a YMT: UK course.
7. Joining a national company – we are truly national with Studios in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (not Wales yet, but we’re trying!). Plus, we have participants from all over the world.
8. Creating your own show – every Studio is different, a once in a lifetime opportunity - once you’ve performed it, no-one else ever will!
9. It helps you at school – not obvious you might think, but loads of young people say it helps with their Drama, English, Music and, surprisingly, History. If you're interested in drama school, or just learning about new ways to get involved in performing arts, the artistic staff and carers on each course are more than happy to give advice.
10. You will also get a free YMT: UK T-shirt (it's this season's must-have fashion accessory!) and, for the first time, a free DVD of the production. Perfect to show your friends and family!

The Studio also qualifies as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, either in the Skills Section for Bronze/Silver Awards, or in the Residential Section for Gold Awards. If you are interested in using The Studio to begin taking a DoE Award, please contact the office on 0870 240 5057, and we'll explain how it all works.

How much does it cost?

We'd love to be able to run The Studio without charging a fee - but we obviously have to pay for the venues, staffing, and everything else that makes the courses possible. In 2008, the charge for joining The Studio was £385 for the week. This is the same as last year - and it includes all your food, accommodation, tuition and pastoral care, a DVD of your work and a YMT: UK t-shirt.

We believe the quality of the courses is really worth the money. We're proud that our artistic and pastoral staff are some of the best around, and we have a high ratio of staff to students.  

Payments can be made in installments, and we offer a full money-back guarantee if you complete a course and feel it was not worth it. What’s more, we send you a rather brilliant fundraising manual, which explains how you can start to raise your own course fee. In 2007, about half the young people involved had raised part or all of their course fee from sources outside their own family, doing everything from sponsored swims to talent shows!

If you're worried about paying for the course, give us a call and we'd be more than happy to give advice about how people have raised their course fees in previous years.

When do they take place?

In 2008, The Studio took place in seven cities. Click each one below for further details. The locations and dates for The Studio in 2009 will be announced later this year. We try to ensure they are spread all over the country, so there should be one near you.

What happens in a YMT: UK Studio?

Studios usually begin on a Monday and end on the following Saturday.  Monday morning is spent traveling from home to your venue for the week. Most younger people travel with a parent or guardian. Registration is at 1pm on the Monday.

We use boarding schools or Universities for The Studio. All facilities are usually on site, from rehearsal rooms to all dining and accommodation needs.  Boys and girls are accommodated on separate floors, usually in shared rooms.  We try to put people of the same age group together where possible.  After unpacking you will be asked to attend a meeting with the Artistic Team and the Pastoral Team.  If they are with you, your parents are also invited to come along if they wish.

Introductory Meeting
At this meeting all the staff introduce themselves.  On most Studios there will be a Director, a Musical Director and a Choreographer or Movement Director.  There is also usually at least one Assistant, often a university student studying theatre. A team of experienced and qualified Pastoral Staff (at least one to every 10 young people) will also be there to ensure your safety and well being at all times. Parents and carers will be provided with contact details for the Pastoral leaders, in case they need to get in touch.

Warm Ups Begin!
After the introductions any parents are bid farewell and the project begins!  Usually, you will have warm ups lasting 20-30 minutes each in drama, music/singing and movement.  Don't worry if you don't know anyone - everyone else is in the same position!  Theatre games are often used to help participants learn each others' names and to help in the 'getting to know you' process.  It's all part of the fun!

Devising the Project
The Director will have come along with an idea and will have discussed this with other members of the Artistic Team.  Projects vary widely - sometimes a story or poem is used as inspiration, or a topical or historical event, or myths or fairy tales, or a particular performance style such as clowning or circus, or something specific to the region in which the project takes place.  The range is very wide!  What is common to most, though, is that YOUR input is crucial...

Your Ideas
From the very first day you may be asked to contribute the ideas.  Studios are as much about the people on the course as anything else!  Your process is just as, if not more, important than anything connected with the final presentation. Ideas come in many forms - during the course you may be asked to write song lyrics, or you may be asked to invent a movement sequence or a dance.  In your drama work you may be asked to invent characters or to suggest ideas for situations or storylines.  You may be asked to devise in small groups, working with friends on a particular exercise.  You may be asked to write dialogue or to improvise scenes.  If you play an instrument you may be asked to work out a musical piece with some other musicians.  If you are a gymnast or have some other hidden skill you may well be asked to use it!

The Grand Plan
The 'grand plan' is that by lunchtime on Saturday, a brand new piece of original music theatre has been created - by you!  At 2pm on the last day, parents and friends are invited along to watch your presentation, which normally lasts about half an hour.  They are always amazed at how much can be achieved in 6 days!  One reason for that is because we work you very hard!...

Hard Graft
We work very long hours!  Usually after breakfast at 8.15 we start working at 9am or 9.30am with a good physical warm up, much as you would have if you went to a professional drama school.  There is always a break mid-morning to grab a drink and a snack, and you have an hour for lunch. Again there is a mid-afternoon tea break and later an hour for the evening meal.  But even then it is not over!  The final session of the day runs from 7pm to 9pm.  Typically, 'quieter' and less demanding activities take place in this period, such as discussion or perhaps prop making or lyric writing.  But one night this session is not quiet at all, because it is the infamous cabaret night! And that deserves a section for itself...

Cabaret!
Most Studios have a cabaret night.  This is your night when you have the chance to perform whatever you want!  Favourite musical theatre or pop songs, street dance, whatever you like to do, you can!  Often during the week you and your newfound friends will decide to do something together, maybe a comedy sketch or a dance or song.  Basically, it's your night!  And we usually have a bit of a party at the same time.  Sometimes this night also becomes a time to discuss professional goals and to take the help and advice of your practitioners if you are serious about a career in the profession.  But mostly it's just a fun night, and a great way to celebrate the work you've been doing.

Making Friends and Having Fun
These are probably the most important things of the whole week!  But we also encourage you to learn new skills and to learn what is expected of professional performers.  Working together in a Studio is one of the best ways to make great friends, to share a unique experience and to come out at the other end proud of what you achieved and more confident as a performer and a person.  You also get a YMT: UK T-shirt which we hope you will wear with pride!  When you get home you can keep in touch with your friends via the YMT: UK Discussion Forum and you will also receive information about forthcoming YMT: UK auditions and other events.

How can I join?
Dates and locations for The Studio 2009 will be announced in the coming months. Places on many of the courses tend to fill up very quickly - so to be the first to hear, make sure you're signed up for our email newsletters by clicking here.