Centre stage for all: How Somerset Youth Theatre creates accessible theatre for Somerset’s youth

We spoke to Selina Keedwell, Artistic Director at Somerset Youth Theatre, about how a Somerset Fund grant for £2,439 helped support their work in Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge.

“We work with children and young people across the whole of Somerset through 4 key delivery strands:

• Regular, accessible and inclusive weekly youth theatres.
• Holiday activities (Play in a Week).
• Targeted work for those with mental health and other challenges.
• Professional training and development for those who work with children and young people.

We’re a neuro-affirming space and we offer packs that support sensory needs. They contain things like fidget toys, ear-defenders, weighted blankets – and we look at things like lighting and room acoustics and have support assistants who deliver one-to-one support. It’s challenging, but it’s working – and it means the young people feel validated and heard.

We take our work out on the street, into the villages and church halls – wherever life happens, basically. Somerset is a diverse county, and there’s so much heritage here. Theatre is storytelling – and we all have a story to tell. So for us, it’s about working with the young people to be creative and share their stories and heritage. We want to open theatre up to young people so they can explore their place in the world.

We’ve grown from a very passionate response to young people’s needs, to a growing organisation, responding to young communities. We understand that not everyone is in the same financial position. So we offer families pay what you can places, as well as fully-funded places for those in receipt of free school meals, or who have special educational needs, or those with EHCPs.

We are passionate about breaking down barriers and levelling access to the arts. We would never turn any young person away due to cost or access. Food and drink is an important element of what we offer, too. We’re still seeing food poverty in Somerset – working parents are struggling to make ends meet.

We reach 200 young people a week and love seeing the transformation from when they first nervously enter the room to the end of the session where they’re running around or eating together. You can feel the energy in the room – it’s joyous.

The grant has not only unlocked vital support but also opened doors to new funding opportunities, ensuring we can continue making a positive impact on the lives of local young people. We’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received.”