Welcome to the 2024 Youth Theatre Census for England.

This census has been created and commissioned by a coalition of youth theatres - 20 Stories High, Burnley Youth Theatre, Company Three, Mortal Fools, Prime Theatre, Theatre Factory and Zest Theatre. It is supported by Get Into Theatre, the National Association of Youth Theatres, National Theatre Connections, National Youth Theatre, NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic and Operatic Association.), and Nick Hern Books.

We want to really understand what youth theatre looks like in England – where it’s happening, who’s doing it and what people need to make it even better.

We define youth theatre as any activity that engages young people aged 5-25 as participants on a non-professional basis in theatre. This might involve training, workshops or making shows. You might refer to yourself as a young company, amateur dramatics group, youth theatre, drama group, or something else. You might be a very small voluntary organisation, or a big company. You might be connected to a ‘parent’ organisation (like a professional theatre), or entirely independent.

In the census we use the words ‘youth theatre’ throughout, but if you fit the definition above, we mean you! If you have any questions about this, please do contact us.

The census will take about 20 minutes to complete. We know that for many people (particularly freelancers and those representing smaller groups), filling in this census will be another thing that you have to do unpaid. We wish it was different, and we hope that the information we collect will help us advocate for better pay, more secure work and more paid time for admin. Thank you for taking the time - we really appreciate it.

You’ll need to have the following information about the year from April 2023 to March 2024 to hand, if possible.
  • Contact details
  • Participation figures
  • Staffing levels
  • Sources of income
  • Turnover and freelance rates of pay
The data we collect will be used to create a public database of youth theatres (which we will add you to if you give us your permission) and an anonymised open source dataset that will be used by researchers and funders to better support our sector.

We will explain more about this and ask for permissions within the body of the Census.

Prize draw
At the end of the census, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a prize draw - we will give five groups £100 to be spent by their young people, in whatever way they want.

The small print
This survey is being carried out by independent researcher Ruth Stevenson, in line with the Market Research Society code of conduct. At the end of the survey you will be directed to a separate form where you can enter our prize draw. As the form is completely separate, we cannot link any personal contact details that you provide to your Census answers. Please refer to this linked document to find more information about data protection and your rights in relation to this survey.
FAQ
Please refer to this web page where we will answer any Frequently Asked Questions!

Access
We will provide access support for anyone who needs it to fill in this survey. For more information and to request this support, please email Ned Glasier (hello@nedglasier.com).
 
 5% of survey complete.

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