MIDLANDS (21-26 JULY), HEMEL HEMPSTEAD (28 JULY-2 AUGUST), EDINBURGH  (28 JULY-2 AUGUST), BELFAST (28 JULY-2 AUGUST), GODALMING (4-9 AUGUST) & LONDON (11-16 AUGUST)

Aged between 11 and 21? Love acting, singing and dancing? Discover your potential at Youth Music Theatre's Summer Skills residential courses across the UK this summer.

Taking place during the school summer holidays, the courses are open to anyone aged 11-21, there is no audition, and they are fully residential with food, accommodation, tuition and pastoral support provided. At £495 inclusive for the six days they also represent exceptional value for money compared to any other drama school or residential course. The courses are part subsidised by Arts Council England and other funders and there are a limited number of places at further reductions for those registered for free school meals.

In 2014, we are running a series of six Summer Skills courses in London, Belfast, Wolverhampton, Godalming (Surrey), Hemel Hempstead (Hertfordshire) and Edinburgh. Our Summer Skills courses are allocated on a first come, first served basis so book a place and find out more about our Summer Skills courses.

Our Edinburgh Skills course is taking place in Fettes College, Edinburgh, rumoured to be the inspiration of J.K.Rowling's Hogwarts.

Youth Music Theatre UK (YMT) is the country’s leading music theatre company for young people, offering top quality training and mentoring and a proven way for young people to enter the creative industries – whether as a performer, musician, stagehand or administrator.  Young people can follow in the footsteps of their recent graduates including chart topping singer-songwriters Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, C4 Fresh Meat’s Charlotte Ritchie and TV and West End leading lady Lauren Samuels.  And YMT have a great track record of producing hit shows – their 2008 show Loserville recently played at the Garrick Theatre in the West End of London, starring EastEnders’ Aaron Sidwell and Lil Chris.  YMT is supported by Arts Council England and the Department for Education.

YMT Summer Skills courses are fantastic week long courses where young people can work with some of the country’s most talented and exciting theatre practitioners. They’ll create a unique new musical – every Skills course is different and truly a once in a lifetime opportunity – and once they’ve performed it, no-one else ever will!  Each of our Skills courses is run by experienced professional theatre creatives who also have a track record of working with young people. Sometimes we take an existing novel or play and turn it into a musical (we did this with The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Tom’s Midnight Garden); we may also work around an idea that the director brings (The Lost and Found Office was set in a railway lost property office), and we also sometimes use the music of a composer (from Godspell to Wicked, the Music of Stephen Schwartz).

Young people on Summer Skills courses:

• Develop the skills needed for a career in the performing arts
• Gain a Grade 6 Trinity College Certificate in Musical Theatre in Production
• Gain tuition from top Directors, Composers and Choreographers
• Create a brand new musical
• Perform to family, friends and industry professionals at the end of week
• Meet and work with like-minded, enthusiastic people

Each Summer Skills course will begin on Monday afternoon and end on the Saturday with a performance to friends, family and industry professionals.  Participants stay in residential accommodation, which means that all the facilities, including bedrooms, rehearsal and dining rooms, are all on site.  Boys and girls are accommodated on separate floors, usually in shared rooms, and are roomed with people who are their own age. Each young person will be looked after by YMT’s highly trained pastoral team.

The 'grand plan' is that by lunchtime on the final Saturday a brand new piece of original music theatre has been created - by them!  At 2pm on the last day family, friends and industry professionals are invited along to watch the presentation, which normally lasts about half an hour.  The audience is always amazed at how much can be achieved in six days – that’s because the young people work very hard!  They’ll learn new skills and make new friends.  And they’ll boost their confidence – doing things they thought they could never do, in a non-scary environment.  Everyone’s in the same boat! 

And at the end of the week, they’ll gain a certificate from Trinity College in Grade 6 'Musical Theatre in Performance'.  Skills courses also qualify as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as the Residential Section for Gold Awards.

To register or for further details, please visit www.youthmusictheatreuk.org/skills-courses

For further press information on Youth Music Theatre UK please contact:

Katherine Camps Kilgour at Bright Media – 07958 649502 or email Katherine@brightmedia.uk.com