SYMT will offer three strands of work in our initial programme :

• Workshop
• Production
• Education and Training

workshop //

The workshop programme will include a menu of sessions from one-off tasters to intensive residencies where young people will work with professional music theatre practitioners. Themed to reflect skills needs these workshops may cover topics including the following:

• Creation // Devising / Writing / Composing
• Direction // Stage and Musical
• Performance // Dance / Drama / Music - Vocal and Instrumental
• Design // Set / Costume / Sound / Lighting
• Technical Theatre
• Production // Budgeting / Funding / Casting / Marketing / Front of House Management

The workshop programme will be open to all youth groups, and young people not associated with any group, and will be suitable for any setting with adequate space for delivery. This is a very versatile and flexible programme able to offer a bespoke service.

production //

In collaboration with our partners SYMT will produce up to 3 new fully staged productions each year. Each show will involve up to 70 young people and offer the opportunity to participate in a structured rehearsal and performance process learning not only new skills in musical theatre but delivering practical experience of the concepts of team work, trust, confidence building and most elements of good citizenships along the way.

The productions will be presented to paying audiences within the auditoria of the company’s theatre partners with integrated marketing and promotion undertaken by the performance venue.

Work created will have the potential to be shared between venues in the rolling programme of activities.

Participation in productions will be through open access application. There will be no audition process to join the company. When each production company is established, through the open access policy, after a period when skills can be identified and confidence grown we will audition from within the group to establish the cast for performance. SYMT will seek to explore existing repertoire and to create new and essential work with and for the young people involved. We would hope to present our first newly commissioned piece of music theatre in a fully staged version in 2009 after a period of workshop devising and development.

Production work will follow this format :

• Weekend skills building and casting workshops
• 10/15/20 day rehearsal and development schedule to production

All work is in weekends or intensive sessions in school holiday periods. The intensive nature of our rehearsal structure is key to maximising the positive learning outcomes of the process.

education and training //

The work of SYMT aims to build on the four capacities of A Curriculum for Excellence (ACE) and use the unique skills developed through music theatre to enhance opportunities for youngsters to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. Indeed the work of SYMT will foster the creative and enterprise skills of youngsters whilst looking for opportunities to create meaningful links between school education and learning in the community.

At a national level SYMT will make links with existing networks for good practise in music, drama and the performing arts.

At a local level, with each venue partner, SYMT will work with practitioners and teachers offering professional development and participation opportunities tailored specifically for need. e.g. Singing for Dancers/Movement for drama specialists/Music for Plays/Dancing for the terrified etc.

We will recruit from across Scotland to support the development of new teams of practitioners either, already involved in the delivery of musical theatre with young people or, from a professionally trained background and anxious to develop their skills in this area.

We will work with students in higher education to offer placements and internships in all areas.

See Images from recent shows, or review our upcoming programme of events.