Is Young Company for me?

Bristol Old Vic Young Company is a fast-paced, ensemble-focused youth theatre with over 350 members.

Each of our individual sessions has space for up to 30 young people (15 in the Year 1-2 session), with one workshop leader and one workshop assistant per class (there are two assistants in the Year 1-2 and Year 3-4 classes).

Sessions take place at Bristol Old Vic theatre on King Street. Bristol Old Vic Young Company use a rehearsal room on top floor, accessible by both stairs and a lift with easy access to disabled and non-disabled toilets.

The sessions focus on working as a group and making work as part of an ensemble rather than on individual work. This means that our sessions can be quite noisy and will feature lots of games, group work, and collaborative practice. There will also be music to accompany activities and aid with certain exercises.

Bristol Old Vic Young Company is committed to being inclusive and accessible, and we welcome young people of all experiences, backgrounds and abilities. It may be, however, that the Young Company is not suited to all young people and we have created some criteria below that may help young people decide if Bristol Old Vic Young Company is right for them.

Young Company members should…

• Be able to participate continuously in sessions that are:
  • 1 hour long (Year 1-2, Year 3-4)
  • 1¼ hours long (Year 5)
  • 1½ hours long (Year 6)
  • 2 hours long (Year 7-8, Year 9, Year 10-11, 16-25).
• Be able to work comfortably in group scenarios and if for any reason they begin to feel uncomfortable, be able to communicate with workshop staff about this.
• Be able to work with scripts in whatever way they feel most comfortable. Bristol Old Vic Young Company can make amendments to written text to suit individual needs.
• Be able to work comfortably in an environment that can sometimes be noisy and busy.
• Be happy to work on theatre techniques in a collaborative way, with the primary focus being on group work rather than individual performance, monologues or grading.