This summer I embarked on what is sure to be an exciting and life-changing journey with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT). At 24-years-old I thought I had missed the boat on joining this world-renowned organisation, but having met a fellow NYT member earlier this year, I learned of the opportunities available with the company, and the benefits of being one of the older members.

Each year around 5,000 young people audition for NYT, with only 500 successful applicants going on to take part in the summer courses which lead to company membership. This year, I took part in Epic Stages, a course designed to equip young actors with the skills and knowledge needed to enter the industry. It was an intensive four-week course held at Rose Bruford college and brought together some of the most incredible talent from across the country.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Epic Stages. I was part of an all-female group which is something new NYT introduced this year. We worked closely with a professional director and writer to create a new piece of theatre using our own stories and backgrounds. It was so interesting. Over the course of the four weeks, we devised various pieces of theatre to explore different elements of our identity which fed into the final performance. Everyone was so unique with different experiences of the world. It was this diversity that brought us all together as an ensemble delivering a very impactful performance.

Throughout the course, we also took part in workshops in voice, ensemble singing, clowning, music and physical theatre. We had talks from industry professionals and current NYT members to give us an insight into the industry and how we can create and shape our careers.

The Philip Bates Trust very kindly helped me in covering the cost of this course, enabling me to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity and I would like to thank them for their support and belief in me pursuing this creative career path.

I feel very proud to be part of NYT and am very much looking forward to what lies ahead. Watch this space…

By Danica Corns

NYT final performance (Danica in pink, on the chair))

NYT final performance (Danica in pink, on the chair). Image by Olivia Hetreed