Exhibition explores Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s 40th anniversary

In the second half of the month, the exhibition will coincide with the youth theatre’s annual Christmas production, this year A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig, adapted for the stage by Philip Wilson, running from December 15-31.

The show will be directed Dale Rooks, director of learning, education and participation (LEAP) at Chichester Festival Theatre. Dale has led the youth theatre for more than half of its existence and is delighted to have this chance to celebrate all that it has meant to so many thousands of young people, to their families and to their audiences.

The exhibition will bring together shared memories and stories, photographs and objects from the youth theatre's history: “We did a call-out and we had lots of things from alumni which has been brilliant. We have been trying to celebrate each decade from 1985 onwards and we also have an interactive board where you can touch screens and listen to memories and also bring up each decade.”

From small beginnings in 1985, CFYT has grown to become the largest weekly venue-based youth theatre in the country. In its 40th year, CFYT will reach more young people than ever before:

“I started in 1996 as a freelance practitioner,” Dale recalls. “Andy Brereton had just taken on the youth theatre and I worked as a freelancer until 2002 and then I became assistant youth theatre director to Andy. In 2004 I was appointed youth theatre director so I have been there for more than half of the years, and I'm immensely proud of so many features, not just the compelling experience of developing so many shows with them but also the way that we have developed the programme and have expanded into satellite locations and expanded the age range and taken things so much further by offering bursaries.

“But it is also about knowing that the youth theatre experiences have had such a massive impact on the lives of these young people and their careers, on their way of thinking. It has given them transferable skills but it has also allowed them a real safe space where they have a sense of belonging and where they have learned their place in the world. If you look at the alumni testimonies, you can really see that. We contacted around a thousand and we had lots of stories back from them.

“We estimate that more than 17,000 young people have taken part in the youth theatre over those 40 years, and for me it has been one of the highlights of my working career. It has been fantastic and so exciting and so exhilarating to work with these young people who bring their energy and passion and joy and humour.

“This exhibition is about celebrating the youth theatre now but I hope that the next 40 years will be just as successful and that many, many more young people will live and breathe the youth theatre experience. There is nothing else like it.”

You can support the work of the youth theatre on https://www.cft.org.uk/support-us/cfyt-at-40

In its 40th year, CFYT has reached more young people than ever before, welcoming 850+ young people from across West Sussex and Hampshire to weekly CFYT workshops led by theatre professionals. The youth theatre makes sure that sure every young person can take part by providing 180 bursaries, dedicated workshops for those with additional needs and tailored theatre experiences for young carers and young unaccompanied refugees.

CFYT costs £283,000 every year to run. Fees are £80 a term, far lower than the cost of running CFYT; and 21 per cent of young people receive a bursary so it’s completely free for them to take part. This leaves £146,000 which needs to be raised each year.