The Stage

Youth theatres to be spot-checked for safety

Published Thursday 27 November 2008 at 11:25 by Lalayn Baluch

Youth theatre provision in the UK is to be monitored for safe practice under a new scheme to be launched by the National Council for Drama Training.

The programme will take three years to implement and will be open to projects of all scales, from local Saturday classes to larger enterprises such as the Lyric Hammersmith.

According to NCDT director Hilary Strong, it will highlight organisations which demonstrate good practice or hold other forms of accreditation such as Arts Council England’s Artsmark award, but will not assess artistic quality.

Strong told The Stage that the system will enable the NCDT to effectively respond to large numbers of enquiries from parents who are unsure how to get their children involved in drama, or are frustrated with long waiting lists for oversubscribed youth theatres.

She said: “Institutions like ACE, local authorities and different umbrella groups find it difficult, if not impossible, to recommend participation for young people, because hardly any of it is quality assured. The arts council don’t keep a list of activities or know if the teachers are Criminal Records Bureau checked, if there is insurance in place or if the person running it might be dodgy. It would be an impossible task for them to find out.”

Participants will pay a small fee to be accredited and listed on the NCDT’s website, and will be visited every two years by the organisation’s officers.

NCDT will also hold regional networking sessions and workshops to boost good practice, particularly in disadvantaged areas. The scheme could also be tied into a benchmarking initiative being launched by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Strong added: “At the heart of this is widening participation. If we want to diversify the intake into the profession, then we need to tackle it at a much earlier stage than when people are applying to drama school.”

The news has been broadly welcomed by the National Association of Youth Theatres.

“It is important that anyone using this as a means to select an activity is aware of what the recognition mark includes and excludes,” said chief executive Jill Adamson.

“You could argue that youth theatres who receive government funding automatically have basic recognition. Those who don’t may be the ones who need the scheme, but they may also need guidance, support and training. These groups may also be put off by cost.”

The NAYT itself is launching an Excellence and Inclusion Scheme next year, which will assess safe practice and artistic quality, and is being established following an in-depth consultation with the youth theatre sector.

National Youth Theatre executive director Sid Higgins believes that the two systems should be linked and be operated by NAYT.

He said: “It would seem wasteful that there are two parallel systems running, when there is already one that is effective and is going to get stronger. It is a very good intent, but my question would be - how is it going to be managed? Do the NCDT have the capacity to do this?”

In 2006, the Council for Dance Education and Training, backed by The Stage, launched a benchmark scheme to recognise safe practice in dance schools.

CDET director Sean Williams believes that good practice should be made public as a “matter of utmost urgency”. He said: “Schools and youth groups failing to meet either the CDET and NCDT marks should be exposed. The safety and well-being of children and young people is at risk.”