The Stage

Scottish Youth Theatre set for move to £1m complex

Published Tuesday 28 June 2005 at 15:30 by Nuala Calvi

Scottish Youth Theatre is set to move into new £1 million purpose-built headquarters this summer, which the company says will allow it to offer more classes to young people and tackle its lengthy waiting list.

The Old Sheriff Court in Glasgow’s Merchant City has been redeveloped to include five rehearsal rooms and a studio theatre, providing the company with it’s own performance space for the first time.

Mark Irwin, SYT’s marketing manager, said: We’ve got the opportunity to extend the number of classes we do and to act as something like a drop-in centre, so that if young people have audition pieces they’re trying to do, they can use the staff here as a resource.

“At the moment we’re sharing an open plan office and have to hire out rehearsal space for classes, after which the students have to go home. Now they’ll be able to interact with other members of staff and have somewhere they can rehearse and put on their own productions.”

The project began in 2001 and SYT became the first arts organisation to introduce charity wristbands to help it raise the funds needed. It also received grants from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Arts Council.

The company is moving to its new home in August and will be holding classes there from October.